WRITTEN QUESTION E-2549/99 by Paul Rübig (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Exclusive designations for types of beer.
Date: 2000-01-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: beer, common commercial policy, designation of origin

C 303 E/78

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

24.10.2000

Community(cid:146)s social objectives and values. The maturing internal market requires a strategy that delivers
tangible benefits to all concerned, be they citizens or businesses, including those located in frontier regions
and cities, and whatever their circumstances. It is for this reason that the Commission adopted its strategy
for the European Union(cid:146)s internal market (1). This takes account of the internal market(cid:146)s contribution to the
broader objectives of the Union, and was endorsed by the Helsinki European Council.

The main aim of this strategy is constantly to improve the performance of the internal market in the years
ahead for the benefit of citizens and business alike. These interests are not mutually exclusive and if they
do conflict they have to be reconciled. The Commission is monitoring and reviewing the effects of existing
internal market measures continuously by using the single market scoreboard, and the Cardiff report which
provides an annual assessment of the functioning of product and capital markets. The Cardiff report aims
to examine markets in a broad sense, and therefore tries to take account of the social impact of market
outcomes.

The 2000 Cardiff report (2) will show that economic and social cohesion among European regions (in
general) has improved considerably. The gross domestic product (GDP) per head in the 10 regions with the
lowest income levels increased from 41 % to 50 % of the Community average between 1986 and 1996. In
addition contrary to predictions, between 1988 and 1998, the geographic concentration of manufacturing
activities across Member States has declined. This means that peripheral and smaller Member States have
actually grown faster than larger Member States.

In order to ensure that European citizens make full use of their rights, the dialogue with citizens and
business offers new ways of communication with the public. Through a website and call centre (with a
freephone number for each Member State), citizens can submit questions and receive personalised advice
on their internal market rights and opportunities. Feedback from the dialogue with citizens and business
can be used to respond to outstanding problems experienced by citizens and businesses to help them when
It also helps to improve the
doing business, or travelling, across borders to neighbouring regions.
interactive nature of policy development with the aim of improving the functioning of the internal market.

The Commission will present an annual review and update of its internal market strategy for discussion
with the Parliament, the Council and all interested parties. The first of these reviews is due in April 2000.

In addition, over the last 10 years, the structural funds, through the Interreg Community initiative, have
provided around € 3 500 million for the development of cross-border regions within the Community. A
similar sum is likely to be available under the new period of Interreg which will run from 2000 to 2006.
Although the principal aim of the cross-border part of Interreg is to overcome the barrier effect that
borders cause, there is nothing to prevent the Member States and regions participating in an Interreg
programme from using some of the funds available to assist those who may temporarily suffer as a result
of changes which, in a broader picture, will strengthen the internal market.

(1) COM(1999) 624 final.
(2) Ref. after adoption.

(2000/C 303 E/069)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2549/99

by Paul R(cid:252)big (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 January 2000)

Subject: Exclusive designations for types of beer

A few months ago a proposal was made that the allocation of traditional names for breeds of horse should
be restricted to a particular geographical region. Thankfully the Commission opposed the adoption of such
protectionist measures.

Now efforts are also being made to introduce exclusive designations for types of beer, which would thus
be given the same protection as types of wine. However, the designation of a type of beer, unlike wine,
does not so much indicate its geographical origin as a particular production or brewing method.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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to bring about a protectionist
How does the Commission intend to oppose this renewed attempt
restriction on world trade on the eve of the WTO Millennium Round? How does it intend to ensure,
particularly in the current negotiations with the candidate countries, that the principle of free trade is
understood and enforced?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(24 January 2000)

The Commission notes the well-known concerns expressed by the Honourable Member concerning
advance protection of beer varieties.
In the current discussions within the World trade organization
(WTO) Agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPs agreement) concerning the
establishment of a so-called multilateral register for the protection of wines and spirits, the Commission is
also considering the proposal of an increase of protectable subject matters in order to include other
agricultural and foodstuff products

A multilateral register will have to be based on the TRIPs agreement and, thus, has to fully respect the
provisions contained therein. This implies that WTO members do not have to grant protection for
geographical indications with respect to goods if it is demonstrated that the relevant indication is identical
with the term customary in common language. Consequently, WTO members do not have to grant
protection to these so-called generic names which might relate to a certain production method rather than
to a geographical indication. The future register will not change this essential provision since (cid:129) as far as a
geographical name is concerned (cid:129) the matter could be challenged through an objection by the WTO
member concerned.

The discussions will,
necessarily distorting free trade in products with generic names.

therefore,

lead to an enhanced protection for European right-holders without

(2000/C 303 E/070)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2554/99

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(11 January 2000)

Subject: Incinerators

Would the Commission please outline whether there are EU emission and other environmental standards
for waste incinerators, and how these compare with those in force in the United States and Japan?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(9 February 2000)

There are currently three pieces of Community legislation aimed at limiting emissions from incineration
plants. These are Council Directive 94/67/EC of 16 December 1994 on the incineration of hazardous
waste (1), Council Directive 89/369/EEC of 8 June 1989 on the prevention of air pollution from new
municipal waste incineration plants (2) and Council Directive 89/429/EEC of 21 June 1989 on the
reduction of air pollution from existing municipal waste-incineration plants (3). In future, all three pieces
of legislation will be repealed and replaced by a single directive, which will set emission limit values for all
relevant pollutants. The Council adopted a common position (4) on the future directive on incineration on
25 November 1999. The second reading will take place in March 2000 and the final adoption is expected
for autumn 2000. The proposed emission limit values will become applicable to existing plants five years
after the adoption of the directive, that is to say probably in autumn 2005.