WRITTEN QUESTION E-2212/99 by Gérard Deprez (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Draft free trade agreement between Turkey and the USA.
Date: 1999-11-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Union, Türkiye, United States, bilateral agreement, customs union, free movement of goods, non-tariff barrier, tariff barrier

1.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 219 E/123

(2000/C 219 E/153)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2212/99

by GØrard Deprez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 November 1999)

Subject: Draft free trade agreement between Turkey and the USA

Is the Commission aware of the draft free trade agreement between Turkey and the USA (S.1746) which
Senator Moynihan presented to the US Senate on 18 October? The text provides for a bilateral agreement
between the USA and Turkey seeking to reduce and eventually eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers, and
possibly to establish a free-trade agreement between the USA and Turkey.

Can the Commission say what will be the probable effects of this US Senate bill on the Customs Union
agreement between the European Union and Turkey?

If the American Congress passes this bill, what consequences will it have for Turkey(cid:146)s status as a candidate
for EU membership?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(16 December 1999)

The Commission has not received precise details of the draft referred to by the Honourable Member and
does not have a copy of the full text of Senator Moynihan(cid:146)s proposal. However, it seems this kind of
initiative is not new in the United States.

Turkey and the Community have had a customs union since 31 December 1995, which de facto prevents
Turkey from establishing a free trade zone with the United States.

By entering into a customs union, the parties adopted a common customs policy including a common
external tariff, which does not allow them any autonomy in this matter.

Given that Turkey cannot enter into a free trade area with the US, even if Congress agreed to the
proposition it would be a unilateral act which would not commit Turkey and would therefore pose no
barrier to Turkish membership of the European Union.

(2000/C 219 E/154)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2215/99

by Enrico Ferri (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 November 1999)

Subject: Blackout of RAI TV programmes and free movement of services

It is now common practice on the part of RAI TV to (cid:145)encode(cid:146) certain popular films, sporting events and
other TV programmes for overseas viewers.

1.

(a)

(b)

(c)

Can the Commission say whether:

in the light of the principles of the single market, it does not consider it disgraceful that the RAI is
blacking out its programmes for overseas viewers, flying in the face of the principle of the free
movement of services laid down in Article 49 (ex Article 59) of the EC Treaty?

such discrimination against overseas residents and other EU citizens is not all the more reprehensible
in that being penalised on account of a border, they are not even allowed to buy a decoder should
they wish to do so?

this behaviour is not in blatant defiance of the letter and the spirit of Article 3(a) of the (cid:145)Television
without Frontiers(cid:146) directive, which stipulates that all Member States may require broadcasters to
broadcast visibly and clearly all events of particular importance? In fact it is precisely those events that
Italy has defined universal pursuant to Article 3(a) (e.g. football matches involving the national team,
European cup matches and Formula One Grands Prix) that it is blacking out for overseas viewers.