WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3129/96 by Bernie MALONE to the Commission. Information technology agreement
Date: 1996-11-22
Institutions: European Parliament, MALONE
Subjects: European undertaking, World Trade Organisation, competitiveness, information technology, tariff exemption, trade agreement (EU)













EUR-Lex - 91996E3129 - EN






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91996E3129

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3129/96 by Bernie MALONE to the Commission. Information technology agreement  


Official Journal C 096 , 24/03/1997 P. 0064 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-3129/96 by Bernie Malone (PSE) to the Commission (22 November 1996)Subject: Information technology agreementMost European information technology companies are in full support of efforts to finalise an Information Technology Agreement by the end of the year, which would reduce tariffs on IT products to zero by the year 2000. Could the Commission clarify its position on the agreement and give its assessment of the likelihood that a comprehensive agreement will be reached by the end of the year.Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (11 December 1996)The Commission welcomes the possibility of negotiating an information technology (IT) agreement. This is, indeed, a unique opportunity to improve global trading conditions in the IT sector and to set an example for the future. The Commission is aware of the importance of this sector and that low cost access to professional IT products is not only a key element for the emerging information society, but also for the improvement of the competitiveness of European industries.For these reasons the Commission holds the view that a broad range of products including all IT products of predominant professional and industrial use and multi-media products as well as computer and telecommunications software, should be covered by such an agreement. In order to avoid unnecessary complications which might result from existing imbalances between the expected market opening by various participants, the Commission does not favour extending the extension of the IT agreement to products which are not directly linked to these Community objectives, such as traditional consumer electronics.With regard to the time frame, the Commission intends to be as ambitious as possible and aims to achieve the complete elimination of tariffs on these IT products well before the year 2000, under the condition that the other partners in the quadrilateral meeting (United States, Japan and Canada) commit themselves likewise.The chance of reaching a comprehensive agreement by the World trade organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting in Singapore will largely depend on the readiness of the Community's partners in these negotiations to follow the ambitious objectives set by the Commission. The Commission is concerned by the reluctance demonstrated by some partners on some key products and the negative effects that would result from such an approach. This would complicate unnecessarily the situation and render it more difficult to present a comprehensive package to countries outside the quadrilateral meeting, the broad participation of which is vital for the success of the agreement.The Commission is determined to make every effort to convince the Community's partners in the negotiations of the overall benefit of a comprehensive approach, as energetically promoted by the Commission, and to achieve a positive result from these negotiations before the end of the year.