WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3549/97 by Frédéric STRIBY to the Commission. Unfair application of excise duties on pure alcohol
Date: 1997-11-12
Institutions: European Parliament, STRIBY
Subjects: alcohol, distillation, excise duty, restriction on competition, tax exemption, tax harmonisation, tax-free allowance

C 196/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22. 6. 98

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(15 January 1998)

The Commission must remind the Honourable Member that under the terms of the legislation on additives in
animal feedingstuffs and the tests carried out for the granting of Community authorisation, such additives must
not  pose  a  risk  to  animal  or  human  health  or  to  the  environment  or  prejudice  the  consumer  by  altering  the
characteristics of animal products.

As the Commission indicated in its reply to question E-3388/97 (1) submitted by the Honourable Member, it has
no  information  showing  a  causal  relationship  between  the  use  of  tylosin  in  pig  feed  and  resistance  to
erythromycin among bacteria pathogenic for man. However, if the review of the authorisation granted for tylosin
requested by Finland reveals any risk to consumer health, the Commission will immediately propose a ban on the
product.

Therefore,  since  the  additives  used  in  animal  feedingstuffs  are  judged  to  be  safe,  the  Commission  does  not
consider it necessary to provide for specific labelling of the animal products concerned.

The Commission does not intend to propose taxing the abovementioned products.

(1)  OJ C 174, 8.6.1998, p. 51.

(98/C 196/06)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3548/97

by Fre·de·ric Striby (I-EDN) to the Commission

(12 November 1997)

Subject: Harmonization of the legal and tax status of home distillers

The status of home distillers varies from one Member State to another. For instance, in Spain, Italy, Portugal and
Greece total freedom of distillation prevails. In Germany, there is a preferential and degressive tax up to 5000(cid:176) of
pure alcohol. Reductions also apply in Austria.

In France and since 1960, very few distillers enjoy exemption, as an order of 29 November 1960 abolished this
privilege (cid:145)as from the death of each beneficiary or his surviving spouse(cid:146). The remaining French home distillers
do  not  benefit  from  any  reduction,  and  are  therefore  penalized  vis-a‘-vis  their  counterparts  in  other  Member
States.

What action does the Commission intend to take with a view to harmonizing the legal and tax status of home
distillers in the EU?

(98/C 196/07)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3549/97

by Fre·de·ric Striby (I-EDN) to the Commission

(12 November 1997)

Subject: Unfair application of excise duties on pure alcohol

Although there is a Community regulation on excise duties, application in France differs from elsewhere, leading
to a flagrant distortion of competition as between home and industrial distillers.

In France, home distillers are obliged to make immediate payment of duties on the products of their distillation,
whereas industrial distillers have to pay only on sale. In addition, if a member of the latter category has allowed
his product to age, he is entitled to a discount on the basis of 6% degree loss per annum. The home distiller is thus
clearly penalized by comparison with his industrial counterpart.

In  the  light  of  this  information,  does  the  Commission  consider  the  application  of  the  directives  on  products
subject to excise duty to be fair and consistent in this particular case?