WRITTEN QUESTION P-3739/00 by Jens-Peter Bonde (EDD) to the Commission. Destruction of a Kurdish town.
Date: 2000-11-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Kurdistan question, Türkiye, cooperation policy, engineering structure, heritage protection, regional development

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/37

(2001/C 187 E/038)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3739/00

by Jens-Peter Bonde (EDD) to the Commission

(28 November 2000)

Subject: Destruction of a Kurdish town

What grounds are there for giving any support for the GAP (South-East Anatolia Project) which would
dam the Tigris and Euphrates and submerge large parts of south eastern Turkey, including an ancient
Kurdish town of great historical significane to the Kurdish people?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(5 January 2001)

The Commission has no intention to use Community budget funds for the financing of dams on the Tigris
and Euphrates.

But it plans to co-finance a regional development programme in the GAP region, whose specific objectives
are to increase employment opportunities, to support income generating activities for the rural population,
to renovate and restore important cultural heritage sites and to promote cultural and touristic potential, as
well as to improve the environmental conditions in the region.

(2001/C 187 E/039)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3751/00

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(4 December 2000)

Subject: The imposition of VAT on recombinant blood products

Will the Commission investigate the imposition of VAT on recombinant blood products in each Member
State? Is the Commission aware that this is a matter of concern for people suffering from haemophilia?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(8 February 2001)

Under the present rules of the Sixth Council Directive 77/388/EEC, of 17 May 1977, on the harmonisation
of the laws of the Member States relating to turnover taxes (cid:129) Common system of value added tax:
uniform basis of assessment (1), the tax liability of recombinant blood products will vary according to the
exact nature of what is being provided.

Whilst there is an exemption (provided by Article 13(A)(1)(d)) which applies to whole human blood, this
does not include supplies of products derived from human blood. However, blood products treated as
medicinal products, in accordance with the concepts defined by Council Directive 89/381/EEC of 14 June
1989, extending the scope of Directives 65/65/EEC and 75/319/EEC on the approximation of provisions
laid down by Law, Regulation or Administrative Action relating to proprietary medicinal products and
laying down special provisions for medicinal products derived from human blood or human plasma (2)
may be taxed at a reduced VAT rate, under Article 12(3)(a) and category 3 of Annex H of the 77/388/EEC
Directive. The reduced rate would also apply to the recombinant blood products developed by means of
biotechnological processes, included in part A of the Annex to the Council Regulation (EEC) No 2309/93,
of 22 July 1993, laying down Community procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal
products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Agency for the Evaluation of
Medicinal products (3). Blood products other than those mentioned above must be taxed at the standard
rate.