WRITTEN QUESTION E-3178/01 by Reimer Böge (PPE-DE) to the Commission. New arrangements for frozen beef and veal import quotas.
Date: 2001-11-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: beef, equal treatment, frozen product, quantitative restriction, small and medium-sized enterprises, tariff quota

C 134 E/208

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2002

Licensing of the above projects is proceeding in contravention of Council Regulation (EC) 1260/1999 (1)
on projects funded by the Third CSF (see Article 12 on compatibility with Community policies) as well as
certain Council directives: under 85/337/EEC (2) as amended by 97/11/EC (3), an assessment of the effects
of certain public and private projects on the environment is compulsory and the opinion of the public
concerned must be taken into account in the development consent procedure (Articles 6(2) and 8).
Licensing also contravenes Directive 92/43/EC (4), one fundamental aim of which is to preserve Natura
2000 areas in good condition. Article 6 of this directive stipulates that for actions likely to have significant
effects on Natura 2000 areas an appropriate assessment must be made of implications on the regions’
ecological value, and actions should be approved only if they do not adversely affect their integrity.

The recent European Parliament and Council Directive 2000/60/EC (5) also includes the objective of the
adoption of measures to protect water and ensure it is used in a sustainable way.

What measures does the Commission intend to take to ensure that the above legal provisions are actually
applied in this specific case?

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985, p. 40.
(3) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997, p. 5.
(4) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.
(5) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(7 January 2002)

In view of the situation reported by the Honourable Member, the Commission intends to send a letter to
the Greek authorities requesting information on compliance with Council Directive 85/337/EEC of
27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment,
as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997, and asking whether due consideration has
been given to Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992, on the conservation of natural habitats and
of wild fauna and flora. Once it has received the Greek authorities’ reply the Commission will check for
any incompatibility with the aforementioned Community legislation.

(2002/C 134 E/218)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3178/01

by Reimer Böge (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 November 2001)

Subject: New arrangements for frozen beef and veal import quotas

Regulation (EC) No 1080/2001 (1) sets out the tariff concessions to apply to frozen beef and veal imported
from non-member countries in the year 2001/02.

To avoid quota speculation, the Commission has stipulated that the quota is to be apportioned only
among traders importing not less than 80 tonnes of meat or exporting at least 160 tonnes.

Although the goal of preventing quota speculation is to be applauded,
disadvantages than not for small and medium-sized enterprises.

the changes entail more

When altering the administration of import quotas as it plans to do, what steps will the Commission take
to afford access to all firms, irrespective of their size?

(1) OJ L 149, 2.6.2001, p. 11.

6.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134 E/209

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 January 2002)

The import quota with the serial number 09.4003 provides for the import at substantially reduced duties
of 53 000 tonnes of frozen beef each year. Annual implementing rules are adopted by the Commission
after consultations with Member States through the Management Committee.

Due to the high commercial value of the quota, some operators have systematically participated in the
quota allocation in a way which can be characterised as speculative. In order to avoid such speculation
which in particular is to the disadvantage of small and medium-sized enterprises, the Commission is
regularly obliged to modify the rules in an appropriate way e.g. by limiting quota access to operators
having a quantitative turnover which indicates a real and independent trade in beef. This is the reason why
a minimum import or export quantity is required to be eligible to participate in the quota. The quantities
were fixed bearing all the above considerations in mind.

With regard to any future rules for the implementation of the quota concerned the Commission will
obviously continue to seek a fair and correct distribution of the import rights between genuine importers
of beef.

(2002/C 134 E/219)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3184/01

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Council

(23 November 2001)

Subject: Cover-ups in respect of the Islamic Cultural Institute in Milan

Following President Bush’s denunciation of the Islamic Cultural Institute in Milan as a recognised terrorist
cell and the epicentre of the active terrorist networks in Europe, the US weekly magazine Newsweek
(5.10.2001) condemns the delays and omissions in the investigations into that centre, which had been
known to the Italian authorities for many years and from which, it has now been established, terrorist
attacks in Europe using chemical weapons were planned and organised.

That article quotes a statement made by an Italian official to the Washington Post according to which
before September 11 there was no understanding of the extent and complexity of the problem.

Does the Council not believe that these delays and omissions have seriously damaged European security?

Does the Council not believe, in addition, that it is necessary to identify the persons responsible for those
delays, at whatever level they may be, and for any political cover-ups in that respect?

Does it not also believe that it is necessary to check, perhaps through Europol, whether other similar
centres currently operating in Europe are carrying out activities like those of the Islamic Cultural Institute
in Milan, particularly in London, where heated propaganda in favour of Bin Laden is still being spread in
many important mosques, and if this is the case, does it not believe that it would be advisable immediately
to close those centres of support for terrorism?

Reply

(18 February 2002)

The Council would like to underline that it has no competence to investigate into the operations of the law
enforcement or judicial authorities in the Member States.