WRITTEN QUESTION E-1259/00 by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Imports of environmentally friendly cars.
Date: 2000-04-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European standard, air quality, approximation of laws, combustion gases, diesel fuel, environmental protection, import, motor car, tax relief

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/5

The reduction of animal herds is not, however, eligible for Community financing if the number of animals
on the farm exceeds the limit set by Directive 91/676/EEC.
In vulnerable zones this corresponds,
per hectare, to an amount of manure containing 170 kg N.

For a number of sectors including pigmeat, the Flemish rural development plan also includes investment
aid (for farms meeting the above minimum requirements) for diversification primarily to boost sustainable
farming and raise incomes. This measure could also be used to restructure pig farming.

Lastly, the Structural Funds (Council Regulation (EC) No 1620/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general
provisions on the Structural Funds (4)) can be used to give assistance in Objective 2 zones and are the
Community instruments par excellence in regions requiring support for socio-economic conversion. The
Structural Fund provisions for 2000-2006 include Community support for rural areas threatened by
serious structural problems in agriculture. Flanders has not however included in its Objective 2 zones rural
areas where the situation of pig farming calls for restructuring.

(1) OJ L 375, 31.12.1991.
(2) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.
(3) OJ C 28, 1.2.2000.
(4) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2001/C 113 E/005)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1259/00

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Imports of environmentally friendly cars

(19 April 2000)

The EU(cid:146)s legislation on the introduction of stringent emission standards for new cars in the year 2005
explicitly calls on the governments of the fifteen Member States not to wait until 2005, but to give
temporary tax concessions to cleaner fuels and more environmentally friendly cars which already satisfy
the stringent 2005 standards. A number of Member States have already started with such measures.

Can the Commission provide details of this?

Is the Commission itself prepared to make proposals for introducing a similar temporary tax concession
with regard to the import duty on environmentally friendly cars from third countries which already satisfy
the standards for 2005?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(19 June 2000)

In the Commission(cid:146)s view economic incentives can play an important role in encouraging the introduction
of more advanced fuels or vehicles with better environmental performances. Tax differentiation is an
important instrument in order to promote an early introduction of vehicles that meet future mandatory
standards. Furthermore a voluntary concept of so called enhanced environmentally friendly vehicles (EEV)
is introduced in Directive 1999/96/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 1999 on the
approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to measures to be taken against the emission of
gaseous and particulate pollutants from compression ignition engines for use in vehicles, and the emission
of gaseous pollutants from positive ignition engines fuelled with natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas for
use in vehicles and amending Council Directive 88/77/EEC (1) towards which Member States may use
economic incentives. The Commission is currently examining the possibilities of presenting a similar
concept for light vehicles.

C 113 E/6

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

As far as motor fuels are concerned the Commission proposal adopted in 1997, restructuring the
Community system of taxation of energy products (2), allows Member States to apply differentiated rates
of energy taxation based on the quality of fuels without formal Commission or Council approval, provided
that they comply with the minimum level of taxation set out in the proposal. This proposal is in line with
the auto oil directives (Directive 98/69/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998
relating to measures to be taken against air pollution by emissions from motor vehicles and amending
Council Directive 70/220/EEC (3) and Directive 98/70/EC of
the Council of
13 October 1998 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Council Directive 93/
12/EEC) (3), but it is still under discussion by the Council.

the Parliament and of

As far as indirect taxation on motor vehicles is concerned, so far there is little Community legislation or
harmonisation of national fiscal provisions applied by the Member States. Approximation of vehicle
taxation levels proved very difficult to achieve due to the unanimity rule needed for decisions on fiscal
matters.

The Commission intends to present a communication on vehicle taxation, in order to launch a discussion
with Member States and other Community institutions on future options for action at Community and
national levels, including the issue of incentives to promote more advanced fuels or more environment
friendly cars.

Finally, concerning possible temporary concessions to import duties on environmentally friendly cars, it
should be pointed out that such measures must respect the Community(cid:146)s obligations in the World Trade
Organisation. It would, therefore, be most appropriate to explore such possibilities with the Community(cid:146)s
trading partners. Any modification of relevant duty rates is an option which could be explored together
with Member States in the context of the preparation for a new and comprehensive round of trade
negotiations.

(1) OJ L 44, 16.2.2000.
(2) COM(97) 30 final.
(3) OJ L 350, 28.12.1998.

(2001/C 113 E/006)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1279/00

by Emmanouil Mastorakis (PSE) to the Commission

(19 April 2000)

Subject: Development of island regions

Parliament has adopted a resolution on the guidelines for the 2001 budget procedure (cid:129) Section III (cid:129)
Commission (A5-0070/2000 (cid:129) the Haug report), paragraph 33 of which, entitled (cid:145)New Policies(cid:146), under-
lines the importance of appropriate funding for the areas newly introduced or reinforced by the
Amsterdam Treaty, such as the development of island regions.

What measures will the Commission take to implement this new policy of developing the island regions?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(15 June 2000)

Sardinia, Sicily, all the Greek islands and the outermost regions will be eligible under Objective 1 for the
Structural Funds(cid:146) 2000-2006 programming period. In addition, as a result of the Commission(cid:146)s decisions in
the case of eleven out of the twelve Member States concerned, a great many islands will be covered by
Objective 2 on the basis of the proposals put forward by the national authorities.

On 1 July 1999 the Commission approved the guidelines for the Structural Fund programmes for 2000-
2006. They set the Community priorities for the new programming period. Some of these priorities
concern very directly the problems facing the island regions: the need to improve access; the use of
renewable sources of energy, particularly with reference to the White Paper for a Community strategy and