WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4135/97 by Nikitas KAKLAMANIS to the Commission. Russian decision to exclude a number of products from the T.I.R. system
Date: 1998-01-21
Institutions: European Parliament, KAKLAMANIS
Subjects: Russia, carriage of goods, customs transit, guarantee, international road transport, transport document

C 196/84

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22. 6. 98

On 19 July 1993 the Council adopted Directive 93/65/EEC on the definition and use of compatible technical
specifications for the procurement of air-traffic-management equipment and systems.

On 17 November 1995 the Council adopted a Resolution on problems caused by congestion and crisis situations
in air traffic in Europe.

The Honourable Member can rest assured that the Council confirms the need to continue and intensify the work
of Eurocontrol, the Convention on which has just been revised (27 June 1997), so as to address and resolve the
problems of air traffic in Europe, possibly even by considering the European Community(cid:146)s accession to that
international organization.

As  regards  matters  of  Eurocontrol(cid:146)s  internal  organization,  such  as  the  Honourable  Member  alludes  to  in  his
Question, it is not for the Council to take a position in an area where only certain Member States, and not the
Community, are qualified to act.

(98/C 196/116)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4135/97

by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission

(21 January 1998)

Subject: Russian decision to exclude a number of products from the T.I.R. system

Russia has removed a large number of products from the T.I.R. transit scheme which, in any case, could not be
transported to that country under T.I.R. documentation. The Russian Federation(cid:146)s State Customs Committee has
notified the International Road Transport Union (IRU) of Decree No 513 banning the transit on its territory of a
number of goods under T.I.R. documentation. These goods include, in particular, Community products such as
barley  beer,  sugar,  confectionery,  butter  and  other  milk-based  fats,  chocolate,  pharmaceuticals,  computers,
videos, televisions, means of transport, etc.

The repercussions are considerable both for European products and European hauliers. The Russian decision
entails  a  particular  loss  of  business  for  hauliers  in  the  peripheral  countries  of  the  Union  such  as  Greece,  as
opportunities were open to Greek firms to transport a number of Community products from other countries to
Russia which have now been completely eliminated.

How  will  the  Commission  respond  to  the  Russian  authorities(cid:146)  decision  in  order  to  safeguard  the  interests  of
Community hauliers and ensure that they are competing on fair terms with their counterparts in other European
countries which are asking for the Union(cid:146)s financial and moral support?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(26 February 1998)

The Commission shares the concern expressed by the Honourable Member in respect of the Order No 513 of the
Russian State customs committee, requiring separate guarantee arrangements to be made, outside that provided
within the international carriage of goods by road (TIR) Convention, 1975, for a range of 20 categories of goods.
The Commission recognises the serious effect such action would have on Community exporters and transport
operators, and the potential threat to the future of this regime, essential to international commerce.

The Commission reacted very quickly in all sectors concerned through direct contacts with the Russian State
customs committee, and through other transport and trade connections. Furthermore the issue was pursued by the
Commission in the appropriate Economic commission for Europe meetings in Geneva.

The implementation of Order No 513 has since been deferred until 1 April 1998. The Commission is continuing
its  dialogue  with  the  Russian  side  and  others  involved  at  all  appropriate  levels  to  secure  its  permanent
withdrawal.