WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3158/97 by Jan MULDER to the Commission. Introduction of a zero refund for the export of cheese to effective export markets
Date: 1997-10-13
Institutions: European Parliament, MULDER
Subjects: EU production, United States, cheese, export, export licence, export refund, purchasing power, tariff quota

C 158/46

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

25. 5. 98

In developing countries delegations are equipped with a number of vehicles, including a cross-country vehicle,
equal  to  the  number  of  officials.  In  industrialised  countries,  apart  from  the  diplomatic  car  for  the  Head  of
Delegation (and one for the Deputy Head (1) where relevant), there are usually one or two official cars, depending
on the number of officials, and possibly a minibus. The criteria for selecting the type of car are based on an
analysis  of  the  specific  requirements  of  each  delegation  and  its  location.  In  practice,  the  maximum  engine
capacity of vehicles must be less than 2 litres (2 1/2 litres for cross-country vehicles) and the maximum cost less
than ECU 22 000.

When vehicles are replaced, the three parameters taken into consideration are: age (5 to 7 years after purchase);
number of kilometres (100 000 to 150 000 km depending on their state), and the scale of maintenance costs.
Internal rules listing the conditions of use, maintenance procedures, criteria and parameters for purchase and
replacement were issued on 29 April 1996.

4.
Offices in the capitals of the Member States have two vehicles: one diplomatic car and one general official
vehicle  (carriage  of  goods  and  persons).  Regional  offices  have  one  vehicle  for  both  purposes.  The  use  of  an
official  car  is  confined  strictly  to  official  visits  to  national  authorities.  All  staff  required  to  represent  the
Commission use the official car.

The criteria for selecting the type of car are based on an analysis of the specific requirements of each office and
its location. In practice, the maximum engine capacity must be less that 2 litres and the maximum cost less than
ECU 22 000. When cars are replaced, the parameters taken into consideration are age (5 to 7 years after purchase)
and  the  number  of  kilometres  (100  000  to  150  000  km,  depending  on  their  state).  Internal  rules  listing  the
conditions of use, maintenance procedures, the criteria and parameters for purchase and replacement are being
studied.

(1)  Official title ( At present, Geneva, Moscow, Tokyo, Washington).

(98/C 158/57)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3158/97

by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission

(13 October 1997)

Subject: Introduction of a zero refund for the export of cheese to effective export markets

The current problems with the system of awarding export certificates for cheese are increasingly having negative
consequences for the export opportunities of the European dairy sector, particularly since milk prices are already
on the decline. One possible way of overcoming these problems would be to reduce or even set at zero the export
refunds  on  cheese  for  certain  destinations  with  a  high  level  of  purchasing  power.  The  Commission  clearly
endorses this view, since it has reduced some export refunds in the past.

Why, in spite of the fact it has been urged to do so from many sides, has the Commission not (yet) taken the
decision to reduce to zero the export refunds on cheese for the United States?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(17 November 1997)

The principal destination for exports of Community cheese, both in volume and in value, is indeed the United
States. However, as the US market is considerably more important to some Member States than to others, views
on the desirability of a zero refund for cheese exported to the United States are far from unanimous. This explains
the caution, which the Honourable Member apparently regrets, of the Community(cid:146)s approach: traders on both
sides of the Atlantic must be able to plan their future activities in the context of increasingly less advantageous
refunds.

Moreover, the Commission is responsible for ensuring that the quotas available following successive multilateral
negotiations (the Uruguay and Tokyo Rounds) are used to best advantage; this means avoiding any measure that
might  lead  the  US  authorities  to  offer  the  Community  quotas  to  other  countries  in  the  framework  of  their
(cid:145)globalisation(cid:146) system.