WRITTEN QUESTION E-2946/00 by Dirk Sterckx (ELDR) to the Commission. Levying of import and export duty by the Belgian Trotting Federation upon imports and exports of horses.
Date: 2000-09-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belgium, Germany, equidae, export tax, free movement of goods, import tax, infringement of EU law, intra-EU trade

C 136 E/140

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

(2001/C 136 E/163)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2946/00

by Dirk Sterckx (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 September 2000)

Subject: Levying of import and export duty by the Belgian Trotting Federation upon imports and exports

of horses

Apparently owners of trotting horses are required to pay duty to the Belgian Trotting Federation when
they import or export them into or out of Belgium from or to another EU Member State. This may
amount to as much as € 300 for final and temporary import or export of a trotting horse. These costs are
apparently pure import duties and do not represent the cost of issuing a health certificate for import and
export as referred to in Directive 90/426/EEC (1) governing the movement of equidae.

Do not the above levies, which impede the free movement of equidae, violate the provisions of the above
directive? If so, will the Commission take action to eliminate this barrier to trade? If not, under what
provision or exemption in the relevant European directives can the Trotting Federation impose such levies?

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 42.

(2001/C 136 E/164)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2947/00

by Dirk Sterckx (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 September 2000)

Subject: Levying of import and export duty by the German Trotting Federation (HVT) upon imports and

exports of horses

Apparently owners of trotting horses are required to pay duty to the German Trotting Federation (HVT)
when they import or export them. This may amount to as much as € 100. These costs are apparently pure
import duties and do not represent the cost of issuing a health certificate for import and export as referred
to in Directive 90/426/EEC (1) governing the movement of equidae.

Do not the above levies, which impede the free movement of equidae, violate the provisions of the above
directive? If so, will the Commission take action to eliminate this barrier to trade? If not, under what
provision or exemption in the relevant European directives can the HVT impose such levies?

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 42.

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2945/00, E-2946/00 and E-2947/00
given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(7 November 2000)

In its reply to the Honourable Member(cid:146)s Written Question E-1021/00, the Commission undertook to
launch an inquiry with the authorities concerned. In addition, the framework of Community legislation on
breeding of equidae was explained, demonstrating the rather limited competence the Commission has with
regard to approval of breeding organisations and associations in the Member States.

Following the Commission(cid:146)s request, the German authorities officially informed the Commission that they
had evaluated the studbook rules of the German Trotting Association (Hauptverband f(cid:252)r Traber -Zucht
und -Rennen e.V.) and consider these rules to be in accordance with the German law on animal breeding.