WRITTEN QUESTION E-3035/98

by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission

(8 October 1998)

Subject: Imports of flowers from Latin American countries

In its answer to my questions (E-0901/97(1) and E-1762/97(2)) on imports of flowers from Latin American countries, the Commission stated that it kept a close watch on trends in exports of flowers and plants to the Community.

1. Can the Commission provide precise figures on the export of flowers and plants from Latin American countries to the Community for the period 1991-1998?

2. Can the Commission indicate whether exports to the EU will increase further as a result of the crisis in Russia and Asia and if so, to what extent?

3. Has the Commission already considered adopting measures in accordance with the provisions in Article 14 and Annex VI, chapter 6 of Regulation 1256/96(3)?

4. Can the Commission provide information on the results of the study, to which it referred in its answer to my first question and in which particular attention was paid to reduced drug production because of the increased opportunities to export flowers?

Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission

(9 November 1998)

1. Statistics on EU imports from Latin America and total imports from non-EU countries of flowers and plants (CN codes 0601 to 0604) for 1991-1997 will be sent to the Honourable Member and Parliament's Secretariat.

2. The statistics show a slight increase in exports from non-EU countries in 1997 compared with the previous year but this is not necessarily the result of the crisis in Russia and Asia.

3. Article 14 of Council Regulation (EC) 1256/96 of 20 June 1996 provides that where a product originating in one of the countries or territories listed in Annex III is imported on terms which cause or threaten to cause serious difficulties to a Community producer of like or directly competing products, CCT duties on that product may be reintroduced at the request of a Member State or on the Commission's own initiative.

In the case of cut flowers under CN code 0603 originating in the countries referred to in Annex V, the situation described in Article 14(1) is deemed to exist where in any given year the quantities released for free circulation under preferential arrangements exceed the volume of imports from one of these countries to the Community corresponding to a figure halfway between the highest quantity and the average quantity in the last four years for which statistics are available.

To date the Commission has neither decided itself nor received a request from a Member State to apply Article 14 to products under Chapter 6 of the Combined Nomenclature.

4. The reports(4) evaluating the beneficiary countries' efforts to combat drug trafficking and analysing the economic and social impact of the special arrangements have concluded that there is a need for such an instrument to support beneficiary countries' efforts to reduce their dependency on the drug economy and stabilise their economic and social structures and constitutional institutions. However its objectives have not yet been fully met. Given the problems involved and continuing lack of progress or headway the Community considers it should continue to assist the Andean Community and Central America in the fight against drugs through the GSP. There will in any case be a general review at the end of the ten-year period (2004) of this and all other aspects of the scheme.

(1) OJ C 373, 9.12.1997, p. 37.

(2) OJ C 21, 22.1.1998, p. 92.

(3) OJ L 160, 29.6.1996, p. 64.

(4) These reports will be presented to the Generalised Preferences Committee under the procedure referred to in Article 18(3) of Regulation (EC) 3281/94 (OJ L 348, 31.12.1994) on 10 November.