WRITTEN QUESTION E-0314/00 by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Olive oil imports from third countries.
Date: 2000-02-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU production, customs duties, import (EU), import policy, olive oil, third country

C 330 E/120

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.11.2000

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(30 March 2000)

Directive 97/66/EC of the Parliament and the Council of 15 December 1997 concerning the protection of
personal data and privacy in the telecommunications sector (1) applies to all public telecommunications
services regardless of the technology used. As far as it contains no specific provision, the rules of the
general data protection Directive 95/46/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on
the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of
such data (2) apply.

The example mentioned by the Honourable Member, of voice telephony provided over the Internet, is
therefore fully covered by existing data protection principles. This implies that the confidentiality of
communications by voice telephony over the Internet must be guaranteed by Member States and that
service providers must ensure the security of their services. Moreover, in case of residual security risks, as
they are likely to exist on a network as open as the Internet, the service providers are obliged to inform
their customers of such risks and must explain them how they can obtain better security (e.g. through
encryption).

If in practice there is a certain lack of awareness among service providers about their obligations under
existing Community data protection and privacy law, this is probably due to the fact that most Member
States have only recently transposed Directive 97/66/EC in national law. The national data protection
commissioners have an important role to play in raising awareness about data protection principles among
service providers and customers. As members of the Article 29 data protection working party, the
independent Community advisory body on data protection and privacy, they have already adopted several
relevant opinions and recommendations,
for example the document confirming the application of
Directive 95/46/EC and Directive 97/66/EC to personal data processing and communications on the
Internet (available at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg15/en/media/dataprot/wpdocs/index.htm).

In addition to legal guarantees, privacy enhancing technologies can reinforce the control that individuals
have on their personal data and help prevent such data being compromised on networks. The Commission
has initiated some awareness activities on technological developments (e.g. a workshop on privacy
enhancing technologies) in this area. Moreover, the Information society technologies programme (IST, part
of the Fifth Framework programme on research and technological development (RTD)) includes an action
line referring to (cid:145)technology building blocks for trust and security(cid:146) focussing on technologies to empower
users to consciously and effectively manage and negotiate their personal rights (IST 2000 (cid:129) II.4.1.).

In conclusion, the protection of personal data and privacy for telecommunications services using new
technologies is guaranteed by the existing legal framework. Nevertheless, in the context of the 1999 review
of telecommunications legislation, the Commission proposed a technological and terminological update of
Directive 97/66/EC to ensure a consistent and technology-neutral application of data protection provisions
to communication services. The Commission will submit proposals to the Parliament and the Council
before summer 2000.

(1) OJ L 24, 30.1.1998.
(2) OJ L 281, 23.11.1995.

(2000/C 330 E/134)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0314/00

by Ioannis Mar(cid:237)nos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 February 2000)

Subject: Olive oil imports from third countries

A document on the development of the EAGGF Guarantee Section for the 1988-2000 period published by
the European Parliament(cid:146)s Directorate-General for Committees and Delegations states clearly (p. 11) that

21.11.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 330 E/121

the European Union is self-sufficient as regards the production of olive oil. Despite this, the same
document draws attention to the fact that the European Union is importing olive oil on preferential
terms, mainly from Tunisia, Morocco and Turkey.

Will the Commission give the precise amounts of olive oil imported from the above three countries and
indeed from any other Mediterranean countries and state why olive oil is being imported from outside the
EU, and notably on preferential terms, given that the Union not only covers its needs through domestic
production of olive oil, but actually produces a surplus of 107,2 %, according to 1996 data which are
quoted by the above document?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(17 March 2000)

Overall, the Community appears self-sufficient as regards production of olive oil. However, in many years
the Community has to import to meet the demand for olive oil both at home and on the world market.
Moreover, operators use olive oils from non-member countries for certain types of cutting of olive oils.

Concerning preferential imports, the Community has committed itself to importing certain quantities of
olive oil from the Mediterranean countries. The principal concession concerns Tunisia with 46 000 tonnes
of olive oil at reduced duties (EUR 7,81/100 kg instead of
the normal customs duty of about
EUR 140/100 kg), while Morocco, Lebanon and Algeria were allotted concessions in the form of a
reduction of the rate of EUR 0,7245/100 kg.

In the case of Turkey, the reduction in the customs duty on virgin olive oil is 10 % and on refined olive oil
5 %.

In the marketing years 1996/97 to 1998/99, total imports in tonnes from these countries were (1):

Tunisia

Turkey

Lebanon

Morocco

Algeria

1996/1997

1997/1998

1998/1999

45 150,7

46 305

46 028

45,9

13,5

17

0

31,5

3,8

56,2

0

107,4

5,0

0,9

0

(1)

Imports do not include quantities imported and re-exported under the inward processing arrangement.

(2000/C 330 E/135)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0318/00

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(11 February 2000)

Subject: Mining and exploitation of gold deposits on the Island of Milos

The company Midas Ltd. is planning to prospect for gold by drilling over an area of 17 760 000 m2 at
Profitis Ilias, Chondro Vouno, Koumaria, Kalamavros and Ralaki in the municipality of Milos, a large part
of which has been proposed for inclusion in the Natura 2000 programme.

Investments of this kind do not have a very positive track record internationally: a similar gold mining
project at Pergamon in Turkey foundered owing to the resistance of the local population who even
involved the European Parliament, and the artificial lakes of toxic waste which are the by-product of such
investments pose a threat to the environment (for instance, the Doæana National Park in Spain). In the case
of Milos the overwhelming majority of the social and professional bodies on the island are strongly
opposed to the project and are calling for an immediate suspension of operations by Midas Ltd.