WRITTEN QUESTION E-0762/02 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. The Internet and mobile telephones, interfaces for drug trafficking.
Date: 2002-03-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: International Narcotics Control Board, Internet, drug traffic, illicit trade, mobile phone, report, sale

C 277 E/82

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.11.2002

1.

Has the Commission noted that ruling?

If so, and having regard also to the Commission inquiries into the situation in the various Member

2.
States, has the Commission now formed a judgment on this matter?

(1) OJ C 319, 18.10.1997, p. 88.
(2) OJ C 82, 17.3.1998, p. 90.

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2002)

The Commission has noted the ruling of the court in Leeuwarden of 16 April 1999 (nr 1059/96,

1.
year 1994-1995).

The application of Article 7 paragraph 2 of Council Directive 95/59/EC of 27 November 1995 on
2.
taxes other than turnover taxes which affect the consumption of manufactured tobacco (1) to medicinal
herbal cigarettes has been discussed in the Excise Committee. The conclusion reached was that such
products should be subject to excise duty unless a national health authority or equivalent official body in a
Member State decides, by reference to a list of pharmaceutical products, that a certain product is used
exclusively for medical purposes. According to the information available to the Commission, Denmark is
the only Member State exempting such products from excise duty.

(1) OJ L 291, 6.12.1995, as last amended by Council Directive 2002/10/EC of 12 February 2002, OJ L 46, 16.2.2002.

(2002/C 277 E/088)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0762/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 March 2002)

Subject: The Internet and mobile telephones, interfaces for drug trafficking

According to the report by the UN International Commission for Drug Control for 2001, in 2000 Interpol
uncovered more than 1 000 websites on the Internet offering drugs for sale. Furthermore, according to the
UK authorities, hundreds of websites have been discovered selling drugs ranging from cannabis to heroin
and cocaine in the UK, while instructions for making drugs are freely available on the Internet from
chemical laboratories in the USA. The UN report describes the Internet and mobile telephones as the basic
interfaces for drug trafficking. On the Internet in particular, there are special private chat rooms where
drug dealers make contact and organise the sale of drugs to addicts.

Is the Commission aware of this situation? What measures will it take to put an end to the activities of
drug traffickers over the Internet? Does Europol have any details of the activities of such traffickers in
Greece?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(27 May 2002)

The Commission is aware of the findings contained in the annual report on 2001 of the International
Narcotics Control Board, and in particular the challenges that the misuse of new technologies are putting
to the fight against drugs.

The Commission recalls that the current framework for Union action in the field of drugs is provided by
the Union Drugs Strategy 2000-2004 (1) and the Union Action Plan on Drugs 2000-2004 (2).

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/83

The Union Action Plan states in point 4.1.1.2 that ‘the Council and the Commission, with the assistance of
Europol, prepare EU guidelines for combating illicit drugs activities via new technologies and in particular
the internet.’

The Commission proposal for a Council Framework Decision on the constituent elements of criminal acts
and penalties in the field of illicit drug trafficking (3) targets illicit drug trafficking in general and thus also
embraces illicit drug trafficking via information and communication technologies,
in particular the
Internet.

The specific issue of drugs and the internet has been considered in the appropriate working structures of
the Council, and this is continuing. And the broader issue is addressed by the multi-annual Community
action plan on promoting safer use of the Internet by combating illegal and harmful content on global
networks adopted by the Parliament and the Council (4). Moreover the Commission has also addressed this
issue in its communication on ‘Creating a safer information society by improving the security of
information infrastructures and combating computer-related crime’ issued in January 2001 (5).

As regards Europol, the Commission is not informed on whether Europol is in possession of specific
information concerning the possible existence of these activities in Greece but it will pass on to Europol
the concerns expressed by the Honorable Member.

(1) Council Document 12555/3/99 (http://ue.eu.int/newsroom/newmain.asp?lang=1).
(2) Council Document 9283/00 and 9283/00 COR1 (http://ue.eu.int/newsroom/newmain.asp?lang=1).
(3) COM(2001) 259 final.
(4) OJ L 33, 6.2.1999.
(5) COM(2000) 890.

(2002/C 277 E/089)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0763/02

by Vincenzo Lavarra (PSE) to the Commission

(18 March 2002)

Subject: Opposition to the idea of harmonising excise duty on wine

Given that:

D wine is central to gastronomy and the Mediterranean diet and can therefore be considered to all

intents and purposes as a staple product;

D it is an integral part of the history and culture of the peoples of Europe,

in particular of the

Mediterranean area, where it is part of the population’s identity;

D it is wrong and unjust to compare wine with truly harmful products, such as spirits and tobacco, since

in moderation it is unanimously recognised to have a healthy effect;

D as regards quality wines or those with a registered designation of origin, the levying of tax (in those

countries where it does not at present exist) may make it less competitive on the market;

D with regard to table wines, which often remain unsold despite very low market prices (cf. the special
distillation scheme in Italy and France), an increase in the cost as a result of excise duty would
aggravate the situation and increase the surplus of table wine on the market;

D because of

the specific characteristics of

the sector most wine producers, especially in the
Mediterranean, are farmers and the excise duty would directly and adversely affect the incomes and
competitiveness of wine-growers, who would be penalised at what is any case a difficult time for
Community agriculture;

D in various EU countries, including Italy, there is at present no excise duty on wine and it would
therefore be unjustified to introduce harmonisation, since this would mean the introduction of a new
levy at a time when it is unanimously agreed that there are already too many levies and taxes on the
agri-foodstuffs and wine sectors.