WRITTEN QUESTION P-2483/99 by Fernando Fernández Martín (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Illegal imports of tomatoes from Morocco.
Date: 1999-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU market, Morocco, agricultural market, association agreement (EU), economic consequence, fruit vegetable, import (EU), international trade, market stabilisation, tariff quota, trade agreement (EU), voluntary restraint agreement

8.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 225 E/111

What action does the Commission intend to take in order to ensure that the protocol is complied with in
future? How does it intend to compensate Community producers for the financial losses incurred as a
result of Morocco(cid:146)s infringement of the protocol?

(2000/C 225 E/115)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2346/99

by Salvador JovØ Peres (GUE/NGL)
and Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Tomato imports from Morocco

Why has the Commission not monitored the quota nor taken the necessary action to prevent Morocco
from exceeding the volume of tomato exports laid down in the Association Agreement and in Protocol
No 1 thereto on the arrangements applying to imports into the Community of agricultural products
originating in Morocco, in particular in Article 3 thereof?

(2000/C 225 E/116)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2347/99

by Salvador JovØ Peres (GUE/NGL)
and Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Tomato imports from Morocco

Why has the Commission not required Morocco to pay the specific customs duty, as it should do since the
prices of that country(cid:146)s exports have been below the entry price established in the Association Agreement
and Article 2 of Protocol No 3 to the Agreement should therefore apply?

(2000/C 225 E/117)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2348/99

by Salvador JovØ Peres (GUE/NGL)
and Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Tomato imports from Morocco

Why has the Commission not taken the necessary action to ensure that Morocco adheres to the monthly
breakdown of the quota and the permitted 20 % overshoot, as laid down in Article 3 to Protocol 1 to the
Association Agreement?

(2000/C 225 E/118)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2483/99

by Fernando FernÆndez Mart(cid:237)n (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Illegal imports of tomatoes from Morocco

(16 December 1999)

By virtue of the agreements between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco, Moroccan tomato
producers can gain access to the European market at a tariff of EUR 500 per tonne for a maximum quota

C 225 E/112

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.8.2000

of 150 676 tonnes. Reports from various quarters had suggested that Morocco had been breaking the said
agreements, employing various means to exceed the quota allocated to it by varying degrees. Highly
reliable official sources have since confirmed this. According to Eurostat, tomato imports from Morocco
over the period 1998-1999 in fact amounted to 181 542 tonnes, more than 30 000 tonnes in excess of
the negotiated quota.

Confirmation of this was provided by the Director-General for Agriculture himself, Mr Guy Legras, during
the partnership day with the outermost regions organised by the Commission under the patronage of its
President, Mr Prodi. Mr Legras stated further that the Commission lacked the human resources needed to
conduct the inspection work that would ensure that the quantity of tomatoes entering the Community
market from Morocco did not exceed the set quota.

Bearing in mind that this situation has placed European tomato producers B and above all those in the
south, where production calendars coincide with those of Morocco B at a severe disadvantage, what
measures has the Commission taken to compel Morocco to comply with its undertakings vis-(cid:224)-vis the
import quota? On what date does it intend to start charging the tariff applicable once the authorised quota
ceiling has been exceeded?

Does the Commission envisage introducing any other measures to enable it to conduct the inspection
duties assigned to it with regard to tomatoes more effectively than has hitherto been the case?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2344/99, E-2345/99, E-2346/99,
E-2347/99, E-2348/99 and P-2483/99
given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(20 January 2000)

The Commission is closely monitoring developments in fresh tomato imports from Morocco.

Having noted that the quantities agreed on for the 1998/1999 marketing year were being exceeded, the
Commission drew the Moroccan authorities(cid:146) attention to the importance of respecting those quantities if
the Community market was to remain in equilibrium.

During the current marketing year, developments in imports in October 1999 prompted the Commission
to request urgent talks with the Moroccan authorities. Those talks were held in Rabat on 22 December
1999 but did not lead to a solution guaranteeing that the granted quota would not be exceeded.
Accordingly, and without prejudice to future talks, the Commission, by Regulation (EC) No 2767/1999,
introduced an import licence system, in accordance with the exchange of letters between the Community
and the Kingdom of Morocco on 22 December 1994.

The Commission would remind the Member States that they are responsible for the correct application of
the rules in force concerning imports, including the setting of customs duties due.

(2000/C 225 E/119)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2355/99

by Markus Ferber (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Standardisation of flight control systems

Some 30 different flight control systems are currently in use worldwide. This simply exacerbates the
problem of air traffic congestion. Standardising flight control systems in Europe might be beneficial both
to the environment and to the economy. What does the Commission intend to do to have flight control
systems standardised at least in Europe?