WRITTEN QUESTION P-3080/00 by Francisca Sauquillo Pérez del Arco (PSE) to the Commission. Appointments at the Commission.
Date: 2000-09-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European official, administration of the Institutions, appointment of staff, cooperation policy, operation of the Institutions

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/175

What measures has the EU taken to ensure that this serious situation is remedied in the future?

What action does the EU intend to take to monitor the policy and system of aid to the agricultural sector
in the United States?

What is the current situation of the United States with regard to the commitments entered into in the
Uruguay Round?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(3 November 2000)

The general agreement on tariffs and trade (GATT) on agriculture sets out different categories of domestic
support. The so-called amber box includes domestic policies with trade-distorting effects. These policies are
expressed by a composite indicator called aggregate measurement of support (AMS) whose base value must
be reduced by 20 % over the 6 years of the implementation period (1995-2001). During the period 1995-
1997, the United States used less than 30 % of their total AMS (in 1997, the American commitment level
on AMS was USD 21,49 bn).

Another category of domestic support, the so-called green box, has no, or minimal, distortive effect on
trade. Measures included in this box are exempt from reduction commitments. As regards the United
States, over the period 1995 to 1997, total American green box expenditure represented 87 % of United
States total domestic support (in 1997, total United States domestic support was USD 58,88 billion). The
two main American green box categories are domestic food aid and decoupled income support, with
respectively around 75 % and 10 % of American total green box expenditure.

The United States make no use of the so-called blue box measures, i.e. direct payments under production
limiting programmes.

Recent decisions on relief programmes and the increasing amounts involved in the loan deficiency
payment system are likely to change the American domestic support completely. The United States must
still notify the World Trade Organisation committee on agriculture the extent as well as the composition
of their domestic support measures for the years 1998 and 1999. Once these notifications are lodged, the
Community will check carefully whether the United States fully comply with the commitments undertaken
in the Uruguay Round.

(2001/C 136 E/205)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3080/00

by Francisca Sauquillo PØrez del Arco (PSE) to the Commission

(22 September 2000)

Subject: Appointments at the Commission

The Commission is redefining its tasks and priorities in the field of external relations and development
cooperation. As part of this process,
it recently appointed the new Director-General of the Common
Service for External Relations. However, it has not yet appointed the Director-General of the Development
DG.

Can the Commission explain the delay in the appointment of a new Director-General for Development,
bearing in mind that the reorganisation of the SCR and of the Development DG should be carried out in
parallel in order to prevent any difficulties in the functioning of two bodies which are required to work
closely together?

C 136 E/176

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(27 October 2000)

As the Honourable Member will be aware, the Commission wished to reorganise the Joint Service for
External Relations and the Directorate-General for Development simultaneously. Both Director-General
posts were,
the same time and with the same deadline for submission of
applications (11 July).

therefore, published at

After completion of the selection procedure stipulated for senior posts, the Commission decided at its
meeting of 26 July 2000 to appoint Mr Bonacci as Director-General of the Joint Service for External
Relations. At that stage, however, no decision was taken in relation to the Director-General for Develop-
ment.

The latter appointment was discussed by the Commission at its meeting on 13 September. The College
decided not to fill the vacancy of Director-General for Development but, whilst retaining the applications
submitted under Article 29(1)(a) of the Staff Regulations, to proceed with the simultaneous publication of
the post both inter-institutionally (Article 29(1)(c)) and externally (Article 29(2)). In order to ensure that
the demands of this post are fully met, the Commission wishes to give as many potentially qualified people
as possible the opportunity to apply, before taking a final decision. This additional step is fully in line with
the Commission(cid:146)s code of conduct for senior appointments adopted last December.

Responses to the publication of the post have now been returned. The Commission will, therefore, proceed
with the next stages of the appointment process without delay.

(2001/C 136 E/206)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3082/00

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(2 October 2000)

Subject: Union enlargement to include countries of Central and Eastern Europe

The Committee on Industry, in its report on the implications of Union enlargement (PE 286 105), draws
attention to the fact that (cid:145)the Commission has not presented to Parliament any quantitative assessment of
the potential impact of the enlargement on(cid:146)trade creation(cid:145)and(cid:146)trade diversion(cid:145)(cid:146).

Are there any scientific surveys available to the Commission relating to the impact of enlargement on trade
creation and diversion?

If so, what practical conclusions can be drawn from them?

How does the Commission assess such conclusions?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2000)

Since the overall assessment made by Agenda 2000 and the impact study looking at the effects that the
accession of the Central and East European countries will have on certain Community policies, the
Commission has ordered or is currently carrying out various comprehensive studies on the implications
of enlargement.

The Community, which is now by far the most important partner of the 13 candidate countries, saw the
total value of its trade increase almost threefold between 1993 and 1999. The surplus from trade with the
13 candidate countries (€ 25 800 million) to a large extent offsets the Community(cid:146)s overall deficit.