5. TheCommunityprogramofevaluatingmorethan800existingactivesubstancesshouldbefinalised
by2008.Afterthattime,allactivesubstancesremainingonthemarketandanynewlydevelopedactivesubstanceshouldhavebeenadequatelytestedandevaluatedatCommunitylevel.
6. TherapidalertsystemforfoodstuffsoperatedbytheCommission,hastheroleofpermittingthe
rapidexchangeofinformationbetweentheCommissionandtheMemberStatesallowingriskmitigation
measurestobetakenwhereappropriateintheeventofareportedrisktotheconsumer.TheCommission
is currently developing guidelines for the reporting ofrisks to the consumer due to the presence ofpesticideresiduesinfood.
(1) 2000/233/EC:CommissionDecisionof9March2000concerningthenon-inclusionofpyrazophosinAnnexIto
CouncilDirective91/414/EECandthewithdrawalofauthorisationsforplantprotectionproductscontainingthis
activesubstance,OJL73,22.3.2000.
(2) http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/ph_ps/pro/eva/existing
(3) CommissionDirective2000/82/ECof20December2000amendingtheAnnexestoCouncilDirectives76/895/
EEC,86/362/EEC,86/363/EECand90/642/EEConthefixingofmaximumlevelsforpesticideresiduesinandon
fruitandvegetables,cereals,foodstuffsofanimaloriginandcertainproductsofplantorigin,includingfruitandvegetablesrespectively,OJL3,6.1.2001.
(2004/C58E/003) WRITTENQUESTIONP-0770/02
byJaimeValdivielsodeCué(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(11March2002)
Subject:Steeltrade
On5MarchtheUSAunilaterallyimposedtariffsonsteelimportswhichrangefrom8%to30%ofthe
valuethereofandwhichwillapply,subjecttoreview,forathree-yearperiodstartingon30March.
Naturally,theEuropeanUnionisgoingtotakethemattertotheWorldTradeOrganisation.WhatimmediateeffectmightthishaveonthesteelindustryinEurope?
WhatactionistobetakeninordertoprotecttheEuropeansteelindustrywhilsttheWTOisdealingwith
theissue,andhowisthesectortobecompensatedforanylossessuffered?
Howlongisitlikelytotakeforthedisputetoberesolved?
AnswergivenbyMrLamyonbehalfoftheCommission
(5April2002)
AstheHonourableMemberrightlymentionsinhisquestion,itisclearthattheCommunityhasnochoice
buttochallengetheunilateralAmericanmeasuresagainststeelimportsintheWorldTradeOrganisation(WTO).TheCommissionthereforerequestedconsultationswiththeUnitedStatesundertheWTODispute
SettlementundertakingandSafeguardsAgreementon7March2002.Iftheseconsultationsweretobe
unsuccessful,theCommissionwouldbeinpositiontorequesttheestablishmentofaPanelasearlyas6May2002.
ItisclearthattheAmericanactioninvolvesanumberofproceduralandsubstantiveviolationsofWTO
rules.TheCommissionisthereforeconfidentthattheWTOwillultimatelyruleagainsttheUnitedStates,asithasalreadydoneinfourothersafeguardcases.However,astheHonourableMemberimplies,thisprocesswilltakesometime.
TheAmericanmeasureswillcausesignificantdisruptiontotheworldsteelmarket.Exporters,particularly
ofproductscoveredby30percentincreasesintariffs,willlookforalternativemarkets.Onaconservativeestimate,some15milliontonnesofsteelcouldbedivertedfromtheAmericanmarket.Giventheoveralleconomicsituation,muchofthissteelislikelytoheadtowardstheCommunity.6.3.2004EN C58E/3 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
AttherequestofthevariousEuropeansteelindustryassociations,theCommissionisthereforeexamining
thecaseforaEuropeansafeguardmeasure.Anysuchmeasurewouldnotseektocutthecurrenthighlevelsofimportstothe Community,butonlypreventthe negative effectsofmassivetradediversioncausedbytheAmericanmeasures.AnyCommunitysafeguardactionwould,ofcourse,onlybeundertakeninfullconformitywithWTOrules.
InapplicationofWTOrules,theCommissionisalsoaskingtheUnitedStatestoproposecompensation
measuresattheleveloftheamountofEuropeanexportshitbytheAmericanmeasures.Inlightoftheirreaction,theCommissionwillconsiderwhetherasuspensionoftariffconcessionsvis-à-vistheUnitedStates,infullconformitywithWTOrules,isappropriate.
Itisdifficultatthisstagetomakeanyreliableforecastofhowlongthedisputewilllast.However,ifthe
WTOdisputesettlementprocedurerunsitsfullcourse,itcouldtake18to24months.
(2004/C58E/004) WRITTENQUESTIONP-0800/02
byChristopherHuhne(ELDR)totheCommission
(13March2002)
Subject:Expenditureonprivatefinanceinitiativesandpublic-privatepartnerships/dashAnswertoWritten
QuestionE-3528/01
FurthertotheCommission’sanswerE-3528/01(1),doestheCommissionintendtodoanyworkcollecting
information on government expenditure on private finance initiatives and public-private partnerships?IstheCommissiondoinganysuchwork?
Ifso,whendoesitexpecttobeabletoprovideanestimateforeachMemberState?Ifnot,willtheCommissionstatewhyitisnotconcernedthatsuchschemesmaybeeffectivewaysof
removingpublicinvestmentfromtheMaastrichtdefinitionofthebudgetbalancewithoutremovingtheultimateliability?
Willitsetoutthecriteria bywhich itbelievesschemesshouldfallwithinorwithouttheMaastricht
definition?
(1) OJC147E,20.6.2002,p.198.
ReplybyMrSolbesMiraonbehalfoftheCommission
(19April2002)
TheCommissiondoesnotcollectseparateinformationongovernmentexpenditure onprivatefinance
initiativesandpublic-privatepartnershipsinconnectionwiththenotificationofdataondebtanddeficit.
However,financeinitiativesofthiskindarecoveredbythenationalaccountsandtheireffectsaretakenin
toaccountappropriatelyinthecalculationofthemainMaastrichtaggregates(deficitanddebt).
Moreover,accountingfortheseprogrammesiscoveredbythemanualonpublicdeficitanddebtdrawnup
byEurostat,whichisavailabletothoseresponsibleforthenationalaccounts.Thismanualprovidesforharmonisedaccountingforthemainoperationsinvolvedinprivatefinanceinitiativesandpublic-privatepartnerships.C58E/4 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion