WRITTEN QUESTION E-1030/01 by Bill Miller (PSE) to the Commission. Alcoholic beverages.
Date: 2001-03-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: alcoholic beverage, common customs tariff, tariff nomenclature, wine

C 318 E/188

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.11.2001

(2001/C 318 E/204)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1029/01

by Bill Miller (PSE) to the Commission

(30 March 2001)

Subject: Excise duty on alcoholic beverages

The Commission has long considered the question of the application of excise duty to alcoholic beverages.
Article 93 provides a legal basis for the introduction of harmonised structures for excise duties on alcoholic
beverages so as to ensure the establishment and the functioning of the internal market.

Despite this, the Commission has failed to produce any proposals concerning the imposition of excise duty
on alcoholic beverages. It is understood that a further study into this issue is being conducted. When will
this study and the Commission(cid:146)s response be published?

Can the Commission give an assurance that it will not propose any measures or undertake any activities
which would increase discrimination in favour of any one category of beverages and that it will continue
to seek the introduction of a system which ensures that competition in the single market is not distorted?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(30 May 2001)

As part of the preparation of the next report of the Commission on the levels of the minimum excise duty
rates and the excise duty rates applied by Member States on alcoholic beverages, a study on competition
between different types of alcoholic beverages has been carried out by a private consultant. This study has
recently been finalised. Furthermore, the Commission is consulting all the Member States, as well as the
interested health and trade organisations. This consultation process is now nearly completed. Based on all
the information and opinions received, the Commission is drafting its report, which should be adopted
during the coming months. As yet, no decision has been taken on whether or not this report should be
accompanied by a proposal for a Directive changing the minimum rates of excise duty on alcoholic
beverages.

it can assure the Honourable
The Commission cannot prejudge the outcome of the report. However,
Member that it has taken note of the positions expressed by trade organisations and Member States
concerning possible discrimination between different categories of drinks and distortion of competition in
the single market. These issues will be addressed in the report.

(2001/C 318 E/205)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1030/01

by Bill Miller (PSE) to the Commission

(30 March 2001)

Subject: Alcoholic beverages

Does the Commission consider that wine is an alcoholic beverage?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(17 May 2001)

Alcoholic beverages are not defined in Community legislation. In Annex I to Council Regulation (EC)
No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine (1), wine is defined as
(cid:145)the product obtained exclusively from the total or partial alcoholic fermentation of fresh grapes, whether
or not crushed, or of grape must(cid:146).

13.11.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 318 E/189

For the purposes of the tariff and statistical nomenclature and of the Common Customs Tariff, Annex I to
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2204/1999 (2) classifies wine of fresh grapes (CN code 2204) among
alcoholic beverages (CN codes 2203 to 2206 and 2208).

(1) OJ L 179, 14.7.1999.
(2) OJ L 278, 28.10.1999.

(2001/C 318 E/206)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1034/01

by Esko Sepp(cid:228)nen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(3 April 2001)

Subject: Common security and defence policy

The structures of the EU(cid:146)s new security and defence policy (ESDP) are very complicated and the decision-
making process is unclear. It appears that the Member States are delegating political leadership to their
own special representative at the Council(cid:146)s secretariat. Has it been decided what will be the Commission(cid:146)s
role in the preparation of the ESDP, and how will decisions be made about the deployment of rapid
reaction troops when the time comes?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(11 May 2001)

The Commission is fully involved in the common foreign and security policy (CFSP), of which the security
and defence policy (ESDP) forms part, and it takes part in the deliberations in the context of the second
pillar of the Union, notably in the Political and Security Committee.

The Commission is very active in the prevention and management of civil crises but is not directly
involved in the development of military structures and capacities.

The arrangements for the deployment of rapid reaction troops are the responsibility of the Council so the
Commission feels that this question should be put direct to the Council.

(2001/C 318 E/207)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1035/01

by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Penalisation of cereal growers in Noto (Sicily)

(3 April 2001)

In the 1998/1999 crop year the harvests of cereal growers in the commune of Noto (Sicily) were greatly
reduced as a result of a freak drought.

Having ascertained a shortfall in relation to the minimum requirements laid down in the Community
legislation governing additional aid for durum wheat, AIMA, the Italian State intervention agency, enforced
Article 9 of Regulation (EEC) No 3887/92 (1), which rules out the aid in question when the discrepancy
between the declared area normally under crops and the area actually determined is found to be greater
than 20 %. An area as large as 4 831 hectares consequently failed to qualify for additional aid for durum
wheat, which has therefore not been paid, severely penalising the cereal sector, the mainstay of Noto(cid:146)s
economy.

In a note dated 25 August 2000 the Commission inexplicably rejected the request from the Italian
Ministry for Agricultural Policies for the above-mentioned Article 9 to be waived.