WRITTEN QUESTION P-2264/00 by Vincenzo Lavarra (PSE) to the Commission. Right to market table grapes included, and approved for cultivation, in the catalogue of national varieties in Italy in accordance with Community rules.
Date: 2000-06-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, grape, legal basis, marketing, patents licence

C 46 E/218

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.2.2001

(2001/C 46 E/264)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2237/00

by Jean-Claude Fruteau (PSE) to the Commission

(29 June 2000)

Subject: Banana import fraud

Forged import licences for bananas have been in circulation in the European Union for almost a year.
164 000 tonnes of bananas produced in third countries have entered European territory illegally in this
way. The operators involved pay a duty of € 75 instead of the € 750 per tonne that they would have had
to pay as importers of non-quota bananas.

The fall
extremely remote areas, may therefore be due to the unscrupulous attitude of some operators.

in prices registered in recent months, which is extremely damaging to many producers in

What measures does the Commission intend to take, and how soon, to repair the damage suffered by these
producers?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(13 July 2000)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.

(2001/C 46 E/265)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2264/00

by Vincenzo Lavarra (PSE) to the Commission

(29 June 2000)

Subject: Right to market table grapes included, and approved for cultivation, in the catalogue of national

varieties in Italy in accordance with Community rules

A number of producers of seedless grapes in southern Italy, and particularly producers of the Sugraone
variety (which has been duly entered and approved for cultivation in the catalogue of national varieties in
Italy) are concerned by the behaviour of certain Community importers who refuse to purchase Sugraone
grapes unless the producer can prove he has paid production royalties to an American company that
claims to have patent rights to the variety in question (although under a different name) that also apply
when the product is marketed.

Could the Commission answer the following questions, with a view to preventing unfair charges and
distortions of the internal market:

1. Can producers lawfully and freely market Sugraone grapes, without being subject to any restrictions
by potential Community purchasers in terms of proving that they have paid production royalties?

2. Does the obligation to pay royalties at the production and marketing stage (and the requirement for
purchasers to check that such royalties have been paid) apply solely to the marketing of varieties of
table grapes that have been patented and have registered names and trademarks, or do such

13.2.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 46 E/219

obligations also apply to producers marketing named varieties of table grapes, such as Sugraone
grapes, which are included, and approved for cultivation, in the catalogue of national varieties in Italy
in accordance with Community rules?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(13 July 2000)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.

(2001/C 46 E/266)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2319/00

by VØronique Mathieu (EDD) to the Commission

Subject: Civil protection and combatting fires caused by storms

(30 June 2000)

The storms which occurred in December 1999 are continuing to have an impact, as European forests
affected by the storms are threatened with the risk of fire. Outbreaks of fires have already been recorded in
some forests.

Preventing disasters means improving fire safety.

1.
Does the Commission not consider that the prevention of fires resulting from the effects of the
storms comes within the scope of the Community programme in the field of civil protection established by
the Council decision of 9 December 1999?

How does the Commission apply the precautionary principle which is the subject of its communica-

2.
tion of 2 February 2000 to the prevention of fires resulting from the storms?

Could the Commission say whether an assessment of the risk of fires resulting from the storms has

3.
been carried out at Community level?

4. What measures have been co-financed under Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 (1) which provides for a
Community scheme for the protection of forests against fire aimed at:

(cid:129) identifying the causes of forest fires;

(cid:129) identifying the means of combatting them?

5. What steps does the Commission intend to take in order to improve the system for monitoring
forests following natural or technological disasters?

(1) OJ L 217, 31.7.1992.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(13 July 2000)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.