WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1069/97 by Giulio FANTUZZI , Fiorella GHILARDOTTI , Rinaldo BONTEMPI to the Commission. Dutch opposition to alteration of the arrangements for rice imports from the Overseas Countries and Territories
Date: 1997-03-21
Institutions: BONTEMPI, European Parliament, FANTUZZI, GHILARDOTTI
Subjects: common agricultural policy, import, import licence, overseas countries and territories, protective clause, quantitative restriction, rice, tariff exemption, tariff quota













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91997E1069

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1069/97 by Giulio FANTUZZI , Fiorella GHILARDOTTI , Rinaldo BONTEMPI to the Commission. Dutch opposition to alteration of the arrangements for rice imports from the Overseas Countries and Territories  


Official Journal C 373 , 09/12/1997 P. 0060 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1069/97 by Giulio Fantuzzi (PSE), Fiorella Ghilardotti (PSE) and Rinaldo Bontempi (PSE) to the Commission (21 March 1997)Subject: Dutch opposition to alteration of the arrangements for rice imports from the Overseas Countries and TerritoriesA proposal to amend the arrangements for rice imports from Overseas Countries and Territories was submitted by the Commission, with the support of the Irish Presidency. At present it is proving impossible to approve this proposal because, despite the agreement of the 14 other Member States, the Dutch Government is firmly opposed.1. Does the Commission consider this situation to be acceptable?2. What action does it intend to take to resolve the problem?Joint answer to Written Questions E-1067/97 and E-1069/97 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (30 April 1997)The Commission believes that the current import arrangements for products originating in the overseas countries and territories (OCT) should be adjusted to ensure a balance between the development objectives of the OCT and the objectives of the common agricultural policy.To this end, it has adopted and forwarded to the Council two draft amendments to the Decision on the association of the OCT with the Community ((Council Decision 91/482/EEC of 25.7.1991. )), the first in the context of the report on the implementation of the OCT/Community trade arrangements provided for in the Decision ((COM (93) 555 final. )), and the second in the context of the mid-term review of the Decision ((COM (95) 739 final. )). However, the Council has not yet been able to achieve the unanimous approval needed for the adoption of these proposals.The Commission considers that work within the Council should continue in order to find a satisfactory solution to the problem as soon as possible. It regrets that in January 1997, in the absence of such a solution, it was necessary to resort for the second time (the first time was in 1993) to safeguard measures to restrict imports of rice originating in the OCT ((Commission Regulation (EC) No 21/97 of 8 January 1997 - OJ L 5, 9.1.1997 and Council Regulation (EC) No 304/97 of 17 February 1997 - OJ L 51, 21.2.1997. )).Since these measures expired at the end of April 1997, it is planned to assess the situation before that date in order to determine if they should be extended or amended.