WRITTEN QUESTION E-0408/00

by Brigitte Langenhagen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 February 2000)

Subject: Different rates of import duty for Alaska pollack and hoki (longtail hake) (7,5 %)

For the period January March 2000 different customs duties are to be applied on items previously subject to the same rate of duty. Since the beginning of the year Alaska pollack has accordingly been subject to a duty of 3,5 %, while hoki (longtail hake) has been subject to a duty of 7,5 %. This cannot be justified by efforts to husband resources since Alaska pollack is being endangered by overfishing while stocks of hoki are still plentiful.

In view of this:

1. what were the reasons for this one-sided increase in duties in hoki?

2. what are the general objectives behind these customs duties?

3. Can the Commission give information regarding stocks of the above fish species and any corrective measures envisaged?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(31 March 2000)

The conventional customs duty on frozen fillets of hoki (Macruronus novaezealandiae) is 7,5 %. However, an autonomous tariff quota of 20 000 tonnes at 3,5 % duty was opened for the period 1 April to 31 December 1999(1).

Compared to Alaska pollack, the Community processing industry's use of hoki is recent and relatively limited. Consequently, like most other autonomous tariff quotas intended to supply the Community market, the quota period does not cover the first three months of the year, when the conventional customs duty applies.

However, in the context of reforming the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products(2), the Council decided in favour of effectively suspending tariff duty on hoki by applying a reduced tariff without quantitative restrictions pending a future solution for supplying the market with this species. The Commission had proposed that customs duty for hoki should be 3,5 % (the same as for Alaska pollack)(3). In view of Germany's request, the Council nevertheless decided to suspend customs duty on Alaska pollack.

Stocks of Alaska pollack have admittedly been heavily fished, while hoki has been identified as a less-used species. However, the Community processing industry's supply needs appear to demonstrate that hoki is not yet able to offset the decreasing availability of Alaska pollack.

Community policy is to promote multilateral management of fish stocks, particularly through regional fishery organisations. Although not directly involved in managing stocks of the two species to which the Honourable Member refers, the Community encourages their responsible management within the framework of the international organisations dealing with fisheries (the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)).

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 745/1999 of 30 March 1999 opening and providing for the administration of autonomous Community tariff quotas for certain fishery products OJ L 96, 10.4.1999.

(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 of 17 December 1999 on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products OJ L 17, 21.1.2000.

(3) Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products OJ C 78, 20.3.1999.