do-me/EUR-LEX huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3115/97 by Eolo PARODI to the Commission. VAT rates on transport
Date: 1997-10-13
Institutions: European Parliament, PARODI
Subjects: Spain, VAT, VAT rate, application of EU law, carriage of passengers, competition law, derogation from EU law, single market, tariff reduction, tax law













EUR-Lex - 91997E3115 - EN






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91997E3115

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3115/97 by Eolo PARODI to the Commission. VAT rates on transport  


Official Journal C 158 , 25/05/1998 P. 0034 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-3115/97 by Eolo Parodi (UPE) to the Commission (13 October 1997)Subject: VAT rates on transportThe Spanish government has recently reduced VAT on transport from 16% to 7%.This decision once more raises the question of the EU-wide harmonization of VAT rates, which currently vary in the transport sector from 2% to 10%.Can the Commission state:1. whether it considers that the existing variations could distort the market, and whether a study exists on the subject?2. if and when it intends to propose measures for the harmonization of VAT rates on transport in the Union?Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (10 December 1997)The Commission is aware of the difficulties arising from the current situation regarding VAT on passenger transport. There are two main factors at play here. First, the rules governing the place of taxation (taxation at the place where the transport takes place, having regard to the distance covered; Article 9(2)(b) of the Sixth VAT Directive (77/388/EEC)) ((OJ L 145, 13.6.1977. )) are particularly difficult to implement. Second, the annexes to that Directive provide for derogations from taxation on passenger transport and for the Member States to apply reduced rates of taxation. Consequently, international passenger transport is often exempt, and some Member States also exempt all or part of domestic passenger transport. In the case of taxation, the rate applied differs significantly and implementation is particularly complex, especially where services are provided by taxable persons not established in the Member State of taxation. Clearly, this situation is prejudicial to healthy competition in the transport sector, both between Member States and between different modes of transport.In the light of the substantial difficulties involved in taxing passenger transport within the Community, it was decided in 1995, as follow-up to the 1992 proposed on passenger transport ((OJ C 307, 25.11.1992. )), to carry out a study on the VAT arrangements and the competitive situation in the passenger transport sector. The study should be finalised before the end of 1997. On the basis of its findings and in the light of the problems currently being encountered, the Commission plans to present a consultation document on the subject in 1998.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3111/97 by Roberta ANGELILLI to the Commission. Structural Funds in Italy
Date: 1997-10-13
Institutions: ANGELILLI, European Parliament
Subjects: EU programme, European Commission, Italy, Structural Funds, operational programme, regional aid, statistics, use of aid













EUR-Lex - 91997E3111 - EN






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91997E3111

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3111/97 by Roberta ANGELILLI to the Commission. Structural Funds in Italy  


Official Journal C 158 , 25/05/1998 P. 0032 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-3111/97 by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission (13 October 1997)Subject: Structural Funds in ItalyIn 1995 the Italian government, faced with the disastrous situation in Italy with regard to the utilization of Structural Funds aid, made definite commitments to the Community institutions concerning the new programming phases.That being so, could the Commission:1. publish the state of commitments and payments made by Italy for the 1989-1993 programming period?2. publish the state of commitments and payments made by Italy for the 1994-1999 programming period?3. state its views on the current situation?4. state whether there is still a possibility that some funds will be diverted to other countries whose utilization procedures have proved to be more efficient?5. state whether, and if so how, the delays on the part of Italy can affect the forthcoming review of the activities of the Funds after 1999?Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (1 December 1997)On the basis of the latest information from the Italian authorities, the implementation situation for approved structural fund programmes in Italy is summarized in the table below. The figures refer to the percentage of the total expenditure programmed for the period committed or spent on the ground by implementing agencies on 30 June 1997.Structural fund programmes in Italy commitments and expenditure by implementing agencies>TABLE>The Commission draws the Honourable Member's attention to the fact that the same considerations apply to these data as applied to those given in Reply to the Honourable Member's written question 1074/97 ((OJ C 21, 22.1.1998. )).The figures in the table confirm that, with the extensions granted, the losses for the 1989-1993 period will remain relatively limited. In so far as 1994-1999 is concerned there are signs of a slow recovery resulting from the action taken by the Commission and the Italian authorities under the July 1995 agreement on the improved management of structural fund programmes in Italy. The Commission will continue every effort with the Italian authorities to sustain this recovery in order to ensure the full and correct use of all the available structural fund resources within the current programming period. It is hoped thus to avoid any question of transfers to other Member States.The Commission reserves the right to take account of poor use of structural funds in any Member State in considering allocations for the post-1999 period. Therefore it is particularly important that improvements in structural fund management in Italy be continued and consolidated.
Council Regulation (EC) No 2028/97 of 13 October 1997 determining the share of grain to be provided by the Community under the Food Aid Convention 1995
Date: 1997-10-13
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU Member State, EU production, European convention, cereals, food aid













EUR-Lex - 31997R2028 - EN






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31997R2028

Council Regulation (EC) No 2028/97 of 13 October 1997 determining the share of grain to be provided by the Community under the Food Aid Convention 1995  


Official Journal L 285 , 17/10/1997 P. 0004 - 0004 





COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2028/97 of 13 October 1997 determining the share of grain to be provided by the Community under the Food Aid Convention 1995THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1292/96 of 27 June 1996 on food-aid policy and food-aid management and special operations in support of food security (1), and in particular Article 21 thereof,Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (2),Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (3),Whereas the Food Aid Convention 1995, which is concluded for a period of three years, has applied provisionally in the Community since 1 July 1995; whereas Regulation (EC) No 1292/96 did not enter into force until 8 July 1996;Whereas Article 21 (1) of Regulation (EC) No 1292/96 provides that the Council shall determine the Community share of the overall amount of cereals aid to be contributed by both the Community and the Member States as laid down in the Food Aid Convention;Whereas Article 21 (2) provides that the Commission shall coordinate the operations of the Community and the Member States as regards the supply of cereals aid under the Food Aid Convention and shall ensure that the total contribution by the Community and its Member States is at least as high as the quantities provided for in the said Convention,HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:Article 1 Of the 1 755 000 tonnes of grain constituting the minimum annual contribution to be made by the Community and its Member States under the Food Aid Convention 1995, the Community's share shall be 983 800 tonnes for the period 1 July 1995 to 30 June 1998.Article 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.Done at Luxembourg, 13 October 1997.For the CouncilThe PresidentJ.-C. JUNCKER(1) OJ L 166, 5. 7. 1996, p. 1.(2) OJ C 112, 10. 4. 1997, p. 13.(3) OJ C 167, 2. 6. 1997.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3103/97 by Hiltrud BREYER to the Commission. Conflict between EPO case law and draft patent directive
Date: 1997-10-13
Institutions: BREYER, European Parliament
Subjects: EC Directive, European Patent Office, European patent, biotechnology, case-law, invention













EUR-Lex - 91997E3103 - EN






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91997E3103

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3103/97 by Hiltrud BREYER to the Commission. Conflict between EPO case law and draft patent directive  


Official Journal C 174 , 08/06/1998 P. 0019 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-3103/97 by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Commission (13 October 1997)Subject: Conflict between EPO case law and draft patent directiveRecital 17b (new) of the Rothley report (which the Commission intends to accept), on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions(A4-0222/97), stipulates that a plant totality which is characterized by a particular gene is not excluded from patentability even if it comprises plant varieties. This is in flagrant breach of the case law of the European Patent Organization, such as decision T 356/93 (EPO Official Journal for 1995, p. 545).How is this conflict, and the associated legal uncertainty, to be resolved?Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (6 January 1998)In reply to the question put by the Honourable Member, the Commission would point out that it is aware of the fact that the wording of recital 17b (new), which takes over Amendment No 20 adopted by Parliament, is at variance with Decision T 356/93 of 21 February 1995 of the Technical Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO). The same is true of Article 4(2) of the amended proposal, which takes over Parliament's Amendment No 47. Parliament took the view that the interpretation of the exclusion from patentability of plant varieties given by the Technical Board of Appeal was not to be followed as regards application of Member State legislation on invention patents that also provides for exclusion from patentability. The Commission shares this view.