WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2032/98 by Daniel VARELA SUANZES- CARPEGNA to the Commission. US tariff on tinned tuna in oil
Date: 1998-07-07
Institutions: European Parliament, VARELA SUANZES-CARPEGNA
Subjects: GATT, United States, World Trade Organisation, customs duties, international negotiations, preserved product, sea fish, tariff negotiations, tariff reduction

C 13/140

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.1.1999

To that end, the Commission keeps a close watch on the situation of the country(cid:146)s journalists. As for the two
journalists specifically mentioned by the Honourable Member, both have almost fully resumed their professional
activities. Their physical protection is outside the Commission(cid:146)s sphere of competence.

The Commission will continue conveying to its Turkish partners the Community(cid:146)s concerns in such matters, and
in particular those raised by the Honourable Member.

(1999/C 13/197)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2032/98

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE) to the Commission

Subject: US tariff on tinned tuna in oil

(7 July 1998)

In its answer to Written Question E-1201/98 (1), the Commission points out that (cid:145)it cannot be excluded that the
higher rate of duty applied for canned tuna in oil in the United States makes the Community a more attractive
market for third countries given its lower duty(cid:146). Likewise, it states that (cid:145)as the United States is respecting its
obligations under the GATT World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding its tariff bindings, the Community has
no basis under the WTO to contest this tariff(cid:146) and ends by asserting that (cid:145)however, it will be possible to pursue
this issue in the context of the next multilateral tariff negotiation(cid:146).

Can the Commission say when the next multilateral tariff negotiation will take place?

Will the Commission take that opportunity to raise the problem posed by the higher tariff applied for tinned tuna
in oil in the United States, given that the Community duty is lower?

(1) OJ C 354, 19.11.1998, p. 77.

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission

(4 August 1998)

The Community is in favour of a new round of multilateral trade negotiations. However, the setting up of such a
round, which the Community would wish to see include negotiations on tariff reductions, can only be decided by
the contracting parties to the World trade organisation (WTO). It is the Commission(cid:146)s hope that this will be done
at the 1999 WTO ministerial meeting.

Once such negotiations are agreed, and provided that negotiations on tariff reductions are included, the issue
raised by the Honourable Member could be included.

(1999/C 13/198)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2048/98

by Jean-Claude Pasty (UPE) to the Commission

(7 July 1998)

Subject: Tax harmonization in the EU Member States

Will the Commission state whether a branch office situated in France, legally defined as a non-permanent
establishment and declared, recognized and taxed as such by the French tax authorities (limited to a professional
tax amounting to what is in effect a token payment of approx. FF 150 per annum), can legally be considered as a
fixed base within the meaning of Article 15 of the Franco-Luxembourg tax convention of 1 April 1958?