WRITTEN QUESTION E-2131/99 by Manuel Pérez Álvarez (PPE-DE) to the Commission. European public register of supranational organisations.
Date: 1999-11-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: access to EU information, interest group, international organisation

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Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2000

(2000/C 203 E/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2130/99

by Robert Sturdy (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 November 1999)

Subject: Council Directives 86/469 and 96/23 on the monitoring of certain substances and residues thereof

in live animals and animal products

Council Directive 86/469 (1), amended by Council Directive 96/23 (2), requires that all Member States
submit an annual report on large scale, random sampling for certain substance and residues thereof in live
animals and animal products.

Has the Commission received these annual reports from all Member States? If not, what steps is the
Commission taking to enforce this Directive?

Does the Commission have plans to make these results available to the European Parliament and therefore
the public? If so, when? If not, why has the Commission taken this decision?

(1) OJ L 275, 26.9.1986, p. 36.
(2) OJ L 125, 23.5.1996, p. 10.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(16 December 1999)

With regard to the annual reports on large scale, random sampling for certain substance and residues
thereof in live animals and animal products required by Council Directive 86/469 as amended by Council
Directive 96/23 (1), the Commission has received the summary results from all Member States, and the
detailed reports from all Member States except France. Since April, France has been officially requested by
the Commission in the standing veterinary committee to send detailed reports as soon as possible.

The Commission together with Member States(cid:146) experts started to analyse the reports on 6/7 December
1999 in order to provide a comprehensive report which will be available to the Parliament and therefore
the public next year.

(1) OJ L 125, 23.5.1996.

(2000/C 203 E/178)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2131/99

by Manuel PØrez `lvarez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: European public register of supranational organisations

(24 November 1999)

There is no public register for non-profit-making supranational organisations in the European Union.

Does the Commission have any plans to introduce one?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(20 December 1999)

The Commission wishes to remain very accessible to non-profit making supranational organisations. It
does not, therefore, impose any system of accreditation and ensures equal treatment for all of them. In line
with this approach, a list of non-profit making interest groups operating at Community level, together

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with their national members, has been placed on the Europa server. (1) This database, inclusion in which is
entirely voluntary, currently contains about 900 groups representing every sector of economic and social
life. It is a valuable information tool for officials wishing to consult a broad spectrum of public opinion.

The Commission plans to develop this database further, expanding the content and extending the scope,
possibly to make it an interinstitutional tool.

(1)

http://europa.eu.int/comm/sg/sgc/lobbies/index_en.htm.

(2000/C 203 E/179)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2134/99

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(29 November 1999)

Subject: Abolition of tax-free shopping and the impact on jobs

On 1 July 1999 sales of duty-free goods in (cid:145)tax-free shops(cid:146) finally came to an end. These shops sold certain
products (e.g. perfume, cigarettes and alcohol) tax-free to passengers on international flights. The ban
followed a decision by the European Summit in Cologne on 3 and 4 June 1999 to apply Article 12 of the
Sixth Council directive on VAT No 77/388/EEC (1) of 17 May 1977 in full. The article in question
permitted intra-Community sales free of tax until 30 June 1999.

For a variety of reasons there was considerable opposition to the abolition of tax-free shopping in the
European Union, e.g. because of the negative effect on jobs. The Commission and the Council have always
argued that the ban on tax-free shopping would not lead to a loss of jobs. However, the evidence emerging
from the industry is different. For example, sales at Sky Shops in Zaventem have fallen by a quarter since
30 June 1999. Management have been obliged to make 60 full-time employees redundant.

How many persons were employed full-time in tax-free shops in the European Union on 1 January

1.
1999?

How many persons were employed full-time in tax-free shops in the European Union on 1 June

2.
1999?

How many persons were employed full-time in tax-free shops in the European Union on 1 July

3.
1999?

How many persons were employed full-time in tax-free shops in the European Union on 1 October

4.
1999?

On the basis of the answers to questions 1 to 4, does the Council acknowledge that the number of

5.
full-time jobs in tax-free shops in the European Union has fallen?

Does the Council feel that these job losses are due to the abolition of tax-free shopping in the
6.
European Union? If so, is the Council prepared to review the ban on tax-free shopping? If not, to what
does the Council attribute the loss of jobs in the tax-free shops sector?

(1) OJ L 145, 13.6.1977, p. 1.

Answer

(24 January 2000)

According to the Council(cid:146)s basic decision from 1992, tax-free sales for intra-community travellers did not
fit in with the concept of an internal market without fiscal frontiers. Nevertheless, the Council decided in
1992 to maintain the situation of duty-free shops on a temporary basis until the end of June 1999.