WRITTEN QUESTION E-1185/00 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Tax burden on single persons.
Date: 2000-04-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European social policy, anti-discriminatory measure, competence of the Member States, one person household, tax, tax harmonisation

26.1.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 26 E/157

Does the Commission not consider that it should prevail upon the Ankara government to put an end

2.
to the judicial and other forms of persecution inflicted on Mr Birdal and Mr Erkaban?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(22 May 2000)

The Commission shares the concern expressed by the Honourable Member on the situation of Mr Akin
Birdal, who has had to return to prison to complete his sentence, and Mr Necmettin Erbakan, who was
sentenced to a year in prison.

With regard to Mr Birdal, a well-known defender of human rights in Turkey, the Commission fully
supports the statement by the Council Presidency of 30 March 2000 calling on the Turkish Government to
take steps to free him.

This latest development is all the more regrettable since the decision of the last European Council in
Helsinki on 10 December 1999, confirming Turkey(cid:146)s status as a candidate country, called on it to make a
special effort to respect the political criteria laid down at Copenhagen.

It is therefore vital that Turkey resolutely commit itself to a sustained process of democratisation and adopt
the necessary reforms. In this respect the revision and even repeal of Article 312 of the penal code, under
which Mr Birdal was convicted in 1998 and Mr Erbakan in March 2000, appears inevitable.

(2001/C 26 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1181/00

by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Conservation of the district of San Lorenzo in Florence

(12 April 2000)

Is the Commission aware that the district of San Lorenzo in Florence is deteriorating and suffering neglect?

How does it intend to safeguard the artistic, historical and cultural heritage of this district, whose market
attracts millions of tourists from all over Europe every year?

How does the Commission intend to guarantee the safety of tradesmen, itinerant salesmen and tourists and
ensure that trading can be carried on normally, thereby preventing the deterioration from gradually
discouraging craft industries and driving people away from Florence(cid:146)s historic centre?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(29 May 2000)

Article 151 (ex Article 128) of the EC Treaty gives the Community responsibility for encouraging
cooperation between the Member States in the area of culture. The question raised by the Honourable
Member does not come under the responsibility of the Community but, on the basis of the principle of
subsidiarity, is the sole responsibility of the Member State.

(2001/C 26 E/196)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1185/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(12 April 2000)

Subject: Tax burden on single persons

The tax rates to which single persons are subject vary from one European Union country to another.
A recent OECD study shows that the tax levied on single persons in some countries exceeds 50 % of

C 26 E/158

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.1.2001

income, while in other countries it is at least 10 % lower. In view of the low birth rate in several EU
countries and the advisability of ensuring that similar conditions apply to all citizens in this category, does
the Commission agree that it it is necessary to propose harmonising in a downwards direction the tax
levied on the incomes of single persons throughout the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(24 May 2000)

The Commission would point out that, as Community law currently stands, personal direct taxation is
essentially a matter for the Member States, which are free to lay down the system of taxation applicable to
their residents on the sole condition that they adhere to the fundamental principles of the EC Treaty, such
as the prohibition of any discrimination based on nationality.

It is true that certain initiatives are currently being considered with a view to introducing a degree of
coordination of national legislation concerning the most mobile tax bases, particularly situations involving
transnational factors, which are more likely to affect the proper operation of the single market.

In keeping with the principle of subsidiarity, however, the Commission does not regard a Community
taxation,
initiative aimed at harmonisation or even coordination of the progressiveness of personal
whether for single persons or families, as a political priority for the moment. Moreover, the solutions
which individual Member States have devised on this issue are intimately linked to local political and social
traditions, which deserve to be respected.

The Commission can only hope that the budgetary discipline imposed on the Member States by their
participation in the single currency will bring about a general reduction in the tax burden which may
benefit single persons along with other categories of taxpayers.

(2001/C 26 E/197)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1189/00

by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission

(10 April 2000)

Subject: Penalties for the use of toxic products on Spanish oranges

In its answer to Written Question P-0357/98 (1), the Commission confirmed that rosin modified by maleic
anhydride and esterified with pentaerythrol is unacceptable for food use.

Given that this substance is used for the processing and conservation of Spanish oranges and that the
Commission intended to carry out a detailed study to verify whether penalties should be imposed for the
infringement of Community rules,

will the Commission say:

1. whether the necessary information has been gathered, now that two years have elapsed, to carry out a

full investigation of this alarming problem?

2. what steps it intends to take vis-(cid:224)-vis the Spanish authorities for repeated infringement of European

Parliament and Council Directive 95/2/EC (2)?

3. what steps it intends to take to ensure proper control of plant protection products so as to prevent the

marketing of products harmful to consumers?

(1) OJ C 223, 17.7.1998, p. 170.
(2) OJ L 61, 18.3.1995, p. 1.