WRITTEN QUESTION E-0760/00 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Supply of tuna steak to the Community market.
Date: 2000-03-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU market, common fisheries policy, fish product, supply balance sheet, tariff quota

26.1.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 26 E/105

(2001/C 26 E/127)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0757/00

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Supply of tuna loins to the Community market

(13 March 2000)

At the Fisheries Council meeting of 30 March 1999, the Commission undertook to launch a study to
assess supplies of tuna loins to the Community market. A study of the demand for, and supply of tuna
loins, with an assessment of supplies of tuna loins to the Community market in the short and medium
term, was submitted on 29 November 1999.

What stance will the Commission be adopting on the basis of the recommendations which have emerged
from this study?

(2001/C 26 E/128)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0758/00

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Supply of tuna loins to the Community market

(13 March 2000)

At the Fisheries Council meeting of 30 March 1999, the Commission undertook to launch a study to
assess supplies of tuna loins to the Community market. A study of the demand for, and supply of tuna
loins, with an assessment of supplies of tuna loins to the Community market in the short and medium
term, was submitted on 29 November 1999.

Does the Commission believe that the completed study reflects its undertaking of 30 March 1999 to
launch a study to assess supplies of tuna loins to the Community market?

(2001/C 26 E/129)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0759/00

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Supply of tuna steak to the Community market

(13 March 2000)

At the Fisheries Council meeting held on 30 March 1999, the Commission undertook to launch a study
with a view to establishing the state of affairs concerning the supply of tuna steak to the Community
market. This study was submitted on 29 November 1999, and presented as a study of demand and supply
of tuna steak (evaluation of the short- and medium-term supply of tuna steak to the Community market).

Can the Commission state why this study states in its recommendations (p. 8 of the general document) and
in paragraph 7 (analysis and conclusions, p. 93) that the central subject of this study is how to supply the
Italian industry so as to allow it to remain competitive while not adversely affecting other European
producers such as Spain, when its central subject was in fact supposed to be the evaluation of the short-
and medium-term supply of tuna steak to the Community market, not to Italy?

(2001/C 26 E/130)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0760/00

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Supply of tuna steak to the Community market

(13 March 2000)

At the Fisheries Council meeting held on 30 March 1999, the Commission undertook to launch a study
with a view to establishing the state of affairs concerning the supply of tuna steak to the Community
market. This study was submitted on 29 November 1999, and presented as a study of demand and supply

C 26 E/106

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.1.2001

of tuna steak (evaluation of the short- and medium-term supply of tuna steak to the Community market).

Does the Commission consider that this study permits a clear evaluation of the economic and social cost
to the Community of opening a tuna steak quota at a reduced rate of duty for third countries?

(2001/C 26 E/131)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0761/00

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 March 2000)

Subject: Supply of tuna steak to the Community market

At the Fisheries Council meeting held on 30 March 1999, the Commission undertook to launch a study
with a view to establishing the state of affairs concerning the supply of tuna steak to the Community
market. This study was submitted on 29 November 1999, and presented as a study of demand and supply
of tuna steak (evaluation of the short- and medium-term supply of tuna steak to the Community market).

Can the Commission state why this study in general shows more interest in the tuna processing industry
of a single Member State (Italy) than in the processing industry of the Community as a whole?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-0756/00, E-0757/00, E-0758/00,
E-0759/00, E-0760/00 and E-0761/00
given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(27 April 2000)

The Commission considers the study in question to constitute a very detailed short and medium-term
assessment for supply of tuna loins to the Community market. It discharges the Commission(cid:146)s commit-
ment of 30 March 1999.

On the purpose of the study, the first paragraph of its management summary speaks of (cid:145)examining the
supply situation for tuna loins to gain a full picture of the supply chain and its main operators(cid:146). Thus the
scope of the study is clear at the beginning of the document.

The passage to which the Honourable Member refers in his question E-759/00 comes from the last
paragraph of the management summary and sums up the present difficulties affecting supply of the
Community market. The lack of competitiveness found by the study appears particularly marked in the
Italian canning industry owing to its cost structure.

The other matters raised by the Honourable Member in question E-760/00 (economic and social costs),
although strictly speaking non-commercial considerations, were also taken into account in the study. In its
conclusions this points out that economic and social costs affect or are liable to affect Community
enterprises, whether through the difficulties that some are encountering from intra-EU or international
competition or because in the long term full opening of the Community market in tuna loins may well
affect exporting countries at present enjoying a preferential arrangement.

The Honourable Member also says that the study focuses on the Italian canning industry rather than on
the Community industry as a whole. The Commission finds the study well balanced in both its analysis
and conclusions. The analysis covers the main producing and consuming Member States (and non-EU
countries) and the recommendations cover all players in the market.