WRITTEN QUESTION No. 763/98 by Alexandros ALAVANOS to the Commission. Abolition of duty-free sales
Date: 1998-03-18
Institutions: ALAVANOS, European Parliament
Subjects: duty-free sale, economic consequence, impact study, intra-EU trade, job cuts, marketing restriction, single market, transport market

19. 11. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 354/23

(98/C 354/50)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0747/98

by Allan Macartney (ARE) to the Commission

(18 March 1998)

Subject: Importance of local government bodies with the framework of structural funds

Given the recent changes in the UK structure of programme partnership for the delivery of structural funding
support, does the Commission agree that local government is a vital strand in the three-way partnership between
the Commission, the Member State and the Region?

What steps will the Commission take to ensure that the role of local government bodies will not be diminished as
a result of the creation of Programme Executives?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(8 April 1998)

The Commission agrees that local government is a vital aspect of the regional partnerships with responsibility for
implementing Community regional policy programmes in the United Kingdom. The Commission has welcomed
recent changes in the composition of monitoring committees in regional policy programmes, and in particular the
inclusion of social partners and elected councillors on these committees. Elected councillors are now represented
on all monitoring committees in England and Wales.

Programme executives have no decision making role in respect of their regional programmes. All decisions must
be  made  by  the  relevant  monitoring  committee,  as  set  out  in  the  standard  clauses  attached  to  each  single
programming document.

Executives, or secretariats, are needed to implement the decisions of monitoring committees. The Commission
will continue to ensure that this division of responsibilities is respected.

(98/C 354/51)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0763/98

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(18 March 1998)

Subject: Abolition of duty-free sales

Duty-free sales will be abolished in the EU in 1999. According to the Transport Union Federation, the main
consequence of this will be the loss of 140 000 jobs, while the turnover of many small businesses and demand in
the internal tourist industry will also be affected.

1.

2.

Has the Commission carried out a quantitative study into the implications of abolishing duty-free sales and

how does it intend to respond to the loss of such a large number of jobs?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(5 May 1998)

On the question of an impact study, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member to previous answers
given  to  both  written  and  oral  questions,  most  recently  the  answer  given  to  written  question  E-272/98  from
Mrs D. Darras (1).

The Commission is not prepared to consider a prorogation of intra-Community duty-free sales as this regime
generates hidden, adverse side effects on other means of transport which cannot offer duty-free sales and on
retailers whose sales are taxed. It is however willing to consider what transparent, clear instruments might be put
in place to offset certain specific, adverse consequences in terms of employment, should they materialise.

(1)  OJ C 304, 2.10.1998, p. 67.