WRITTEN QUESTION No. 246/99 by Niall ANDREWS Subsidised canned tomatoes in South Africa
Date: 1999-02-05
Institutions: ANDREWS, European Parliament
Subjects: EU production, South Africa, export (EU), financial aid, fruit product, preserved product, production aid, vegetable product

C 320/132

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.11.1999

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-0219/99 and E-0350/99
given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission

(30 March 1999)

Apart from the work done among the Member States during the negotiation of the agreements in connectiom
with the Prince programme, the Commission has launched a series of specific or general initiatives aimed at
preparing consumers for the arrival of the euro, in accordance with calls from Parliament (reports by Mr Pérez
Royo ! A4-0415/97 ! and Mr Arroni ! A4-0485/98).

In general, consumer representatives have worked closely with the Commission since 1996, particularly
through the work done by the Consumer Committee’s ‘euro’ working party in establishing the legal framework
for the introduction of the euro. Under the auspices of the Commission, they negotiated and signed a voluntary
code of conduct for the distribution sector on 30 June 1998. In addition, training in the euro for
representatives of consumer associations was organised in Brussels in the autumn of 1998. This was in the
context of the general efforts by the Commission to strengthen the policy of information and training for
consumers on all aspects of the euro.

The example of fraud referred to by the Honourable Member confirms the fact that a considerable amount of
effort is still required in order to inform the public about the arrangements for introducing the euro,
particularly for certain sections of the population such as elderly people. Studies carried out at the Commission
show that, for a variety of reasons, a significant proportion of the population could not be reached by the usual
information policies (brochures, printed material, television), and that for these people more personal
information, particularly through the use of ‘trusted mediators’, is required.

In response to these findings, the Commission set up the ‘Euro made easy’ pilot projects in 1998, with the aim
at European level of identifying the problems, questions and language of vulnerable population groups on the
one hand and, on the other, creating training tools for trainers and mediators, pyramid-shaped training
mechanisms and information tools designed for use by mediators and, finally, making the authorities aware of
these problems in order to encourage them to develop euro information campaigns aimed at these target
groups, using all or part of the material developed in this way.

The two main projects aimed specifically at population groups in economic or social difficulty and at elderly
people have already made it possible to analyse the needs of those involved, using 20 working parties in
Belgium, France and Italy. Once the results have been validated in all the Member States, the projects should
continue between March and September 1999 to develop training and information tools and materials.

The Commission is also funding parallel projects aimed at determining specific problems and appropriate
responses for disabled population groups. At the moment, two projects are already under way in partnership
with the European Blind Union and the European Union of the Deaf.

(1999/C 320/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0246/99

by Niall Andrews (UPE) to the Commission

(5 February 1999)

Subject: Subsidised canned tomatoes in South Africa

What is the Commission doing to deal with the situation where subsidised canned tomatoes from the
European Union are causing producers in South Africa to be pushed out of their own market?

Does the Commission have up-to-date figures on the level of unemployment caused by this phenomenon in
South Africa, and will the reform of the common agricultural policy offer any opportunity to address these
injustices?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 March 1999)

Trade between South Africa and the European Community in processed fruit and vegetables (chapter 20 of the
combined nomenclature) is heavily weighted in favour of South Africa. In particular, the Community is one of
the major markets for South African canned peaches and pears while its own products are not represented on