WRITTEN QUESTION E-2642/01 by Encarnación Redondo Jiménez (PPE-DE) to the Commission. European mushroom sector.
Date: 2001-09-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: China, World Trade Organisation, mushroom-growing, surveillance concerning imports, tariff quota

C 134 E/70

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2002

Reply

(14 February 2002)

For the time being, the Member States concerned have specifically asked the Council not to intervene on
behalf of their detained citizens in order to facilitate confidential bilateral contacts which are under way to
solve the issue.

In reply to aspects related to the 16 Afghan nationals detained by the Taliban, the Council would like to
draw the Honourable MEP’s attention to the reply given to the similar Oral Question H 0797/2001.

In any case the situation in Afghanistan has lately evolved in such a manner that the resolution of these
cases should be undertaken taking those changes into account.

(2002/C 134 E/072)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2642/01

by Encarnación Redondo Jiménez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(28 September 2001)

Subject: European mushroom sector

Mushroom production in the EU stands at 1 million tonnes per year. The situation in the sector is marked
the genus Agaricus (cultivated
by relative stability but high fragility, mainly owing to imports of
mushrooms) at a price which is 50 % lower, despite the quota of 29 290 t per year (22 750 being allocated
to China under Regulation (EC) 2858/2000 (1)). There are also instances of fraud whereby mushrooms are
imported in excess of the quota under different customs headings.

The United States banned imports of Chinese mushrooms for five years following legal proceedings for
dumping, which ended two years ago.

In this light, and bearing in mind the significant role played in certain local areas by mushroom-growing,
which is extremely labour-intensive:

; what is the Commission’s assessment of the impact which application of the customs quota for
mushrooms of the genus Agaricus has had on the European mushroom-producing sector since its
introduction in 1992?

; What consequences does the Commission expect China’s imminent accession to the WTO to have for

customs quotas for mushrooms of the genus Agaricus in the EU?

; Have any assessments been made of the social and economic impact on European producers of
Agaricus mushrooms in the event of substantial variations in the current customs quota? What
measures are in place to offset any negative impact?

; What action is being taken to ensure that Chinese imports under chapter 07 designated as Calocybe or
Psaillota are not in fact imports of Agaricus? How many checks have been made, and with what
results?

(1) OJ L 332, 28.12.2000, p. 59.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(13 November 2001)

The Commission is aware of the difficulties facing the Community mushroom sector, and in particular the
vulnerable position in which it now finds itself as a result of the structural fall in demand for preserved
mushrooms in Europe and the serious competition represented by imports. It has no, however, uncovered
any instances of fraud or unlawfulness when the product is being imported.

6.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134 E/71

Furthermore, the existence of quotas for mushrooms under WTO (1) arrangements since 1995, by keeping
imports at a steady level, has helped stabilise the sector and steered it towards greater quantitative and
qualitative control of the finished product, both upstream and downstream. The quotas are consolidated
within GATT (2) and comply in full with the provisions in force and the rules governing them.

China’s accession to the WTO cannot undermine the existence of these quotas or the arrangements
governing them.

It is the responsibility of the Member States’ customs authorities to see to it that Community law
concerning imports is properly applied.

(1) World Trade Organisation.
(2) General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

(2002/C 134 E/073)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2645/01

by Luciana Sbarbati (ELDR) to the Commission

(28 September 2001)

Subject: Euro and consumers

The euro will enter into use in 2002. The new currency will, as a result of its fixed exchange rate, lead to
adjustments in the prices of a wide range of goods and, above all, services. To avoid having to deal with
cents, which are no longer used in certain countries, prices will be rounded up. This will be to the
detriment of consumers and will lead to a rise in inflation. The Commission cannot afford to ignore this
fact.

Line B5-10 of the EU budget provides for activities to promote and protect consumer interests. Given that
one of the aims of this appropriation is to guarantee a high, uniform level of consumer protection, will the
Commission state what countermeasures will be taken to avoid such problems and what checks will be
made to discourage such practices?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(16 November 2001)

Two European Regulations (1) lay down the rules for conversion and rounding (2), and establish a principle
of continuity of contracts. Where the prices of goods and services are concerned, some businesses will be
forced to round their prices up or down in order to ensure that the new prices in euro retain their
psychological effect, or simply to adapt prices to market conditions, fluctuations in the costs of raw
materials, etc. Freedom of pricing and competition is the basic principle behind the Internal Market. The
notion of psychological pricing in euro, however, varies from sector to sector and from Member State to
Member State.

To enable consumers to benefit fully from competition and to promote value for money, the Commission
has focused upon education and information so that everyone can get a feel for the new prices in euro and
new scales of values. The Commission has also encouraged dialogue between consumers and the
distribution industry. One result of this dialogue has been the ‘Eurologo’ voluntary agreement, based on
good practice and a commitment to stable pricing during the changeover to the euro. This agreement has
been introduced at national level in most Member States in the euro zone.

By signing this agreement, representatives of European businesses have undertaken to make increasing use
of dual price displays as the changeover approaches, and to promote overall price stability during the last
few months of 2001 and the first few months of 2002, in order to maintain confidence levels and to make
it easier for consumers to find their bearings. Several major companies in the euro zone have already made
these commitments and most shops in the participating Member States are using dual pricing. This trend is
becoming more widespread as the deadline approaches.