WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4118/97 by Raimo ILASKIVI , Jyrki OTILA , Marjo MATIKAINEN-KALLSTRÖM to the Commission. Tax treatment of secondhand cars for importation into Finland
Date: 1998-01-16
Institutions: European Parliament, ILASKIVI, MATIKAINEN-KALLSTROEM, OTILA
Subjects: Finland, import, motor car, vehicle registration, vehicle tax

C 223/56

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

17. 7. 98

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(11 March 1998)

The Commission has not received any of the complaints referred to by the Honourable Member.

The Commission draws the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to Council Regulation (EEC) No 881/92 on access to
the market in the carriage of goods by road within the Community to or from the territory of a Member State or
passing  across  the  territory  of  one  or  more  Member  States (1).  Pursuant  to  that  measure  the  Commission
submitted a recommendation to open negotiations with a number of third countries, including Turkey, on mutual
access  to  road  transport  markets.  To  date,  the  Council  has  authorised  the  opening  of  negotiations  only  with
Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary.

While cooperation in transport is foreseen in the EC-Turkey Association Council Resolution of 6 March 1995, it
has not been possible to implement any cooperation in this sector, due to significant restrictions on financial
cooperation with Turkey.

Consequently, regulation of road freight traffic both between Greece and Turkey and within Greece by Turkish
hauliers  (cabotage)  is  entirely  a  matter  for  the  two  countries  concerned,  in  compliance  with  the  relevant
international rules.

(1)  OJ L 95, 9.4.1992.

(98/C 223/69)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4118/97

by Raimo Ilaskivi (PPE), Jyrki Otila (PPE)
and Marjo Matikainen-Kallstro¤m (PPE) to the Commission

(16 January 1998)

Subject: Tax treatment of secondhand cars for importation into Finland

Finland is among the EU Member States where cars and driving are taxed most heavily. This is a fact, even
though the use of private cars is unavoidable in our country on account of the long distances and low population
density.

It is true that taxation of car use does not fall within the ambit of the EU Treaty. But surely the way in which
imported secondhand cars are taxed in Finland contravenes the principles of the Treaty of Rome, particularly
Article 95 (cf. judgment C-47/88 of the Court of Justice of the European Communities of 11 December 1990 in a
case concerning Denmark).

What will the Commission do to ensure that the Treaty of Rome is applied in the taxation of secondhand cars for
importation into Finland?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(16 February 1998)

The Commission shares the Honourable Member(cid:146)s concerns.

It believes that the problems he has raised should be considered in the light of Article 95 of the EC Treaty and the
Court of Justice case law relating to that Article.

In this connection it would inform him that Finnish law on vehicle registration tax is currently being examined in
the  light  of  the  Tadeu  judgment  (Case  C-345/93),  and  the  judgment  of  23  October  1997  in  Case  C-375/95
Commission v Greece.

Should the Honourable Member know of any specific cases in this area, the Commission is prepared to examine
them.