WRITTEN QUESTION E-1188/02 by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Sustainability impact assessment for the EU-Mexico Agreement.
Date: 2002-04-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Mexico, environmental protection, impact study, sustainable development, trade agreement (EU)

C 28 E/82

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

3.

If so, which products are affected?

4.
Are goods exported to the Vatican, which attract export subsidies, put into free circulation in their
country of destination in accordance with the regulations, and therefore processed? Does OLAF know of
any cases where such goods have been transported back to Italy without passing through customs?

Does the Commission agree that smuggling operations on this scale are hardly possible without the

5.
officials in the Vatican responsible for such matters knowing of them?

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(2 July 2002)

Based on the information forwarded by OLAF, the Commission replies as follows:

1. Upon review of the information provided to it, the European anti-fraud office (OLAF) has considered

that there are no grounds to start an enquiry.

2. and 3. OLAF has no such information.

4.

Export refunds are paid on eligible agricultural goods delivered to the Vatican State. Goods exported
to the Vatican are put
into free circulation in that sovereign independent state. Olaf has no
information of any case where such goods have been transported back to Italy without passing
through customs.

5. OLAF has no information that would lead it to believe that either Vatican officials or Italian customs

officials are aware of smuggling operations as alleged.

(2003/C 28 E/090)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1188/02

by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(26 April 2002)

Subject: Sustainability impact assessment for the EU-Mexico Agreement

Sustainable development is one of the key objectives of the Treaty. As the European Union rightly
recognises, sustainability has both an internal and an external dimension. In line with this recognition, the
Gothenburg Council decided that all new trade proposals would undergo sustainability impact assessments
(SIAs) as agreed under the EU sustainable development strategy. They would be undertaken by external
experts and made public. According to a Commission document (1) around 10 % of
the EU trade
directorate’s ‘available budget’ will be spent on SIAs in 2002.

The EU-Mexico Agreement has been negotiated and has come into force before the above mentioned
Council conclusions. However, sustainability had already been a EU objective before.

By which studies or which mechanisms has the Commission made sure that the EU-Mexico Agreement
does not undermine its sustainability goals? Are these studies made public? Can the European Parliament
or individual members receive these studies on request?

Does the EU foresee regular SIAs in order to underpin the future developments of the EU-Mexico
Agreement?

(1) SEC(2002) 271.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(27 May 2002)

As the Honourable Member mentions, the Union-Mexico Global Agreement has been negotiated and has
come into force before the Council’s conclusions concerning sustainability impact assessments were
adopted.

However, the Decisions regarding the Community-Mexico free trade area contained a revision clause,
which states that three years after their entry into force the parties will discuss the liberalisation of some
products and sectors not included in the first Decisions. This revision will be done following all Union
rules and procedures and it will therefore be a good opportunity to take into account Gothenburg
Council’s conclusions (of 15 and 16 June 2001).

Moreover, the Commission is bound by the EC Treaty to integrate environmental concerns into all areas of
Community policies and to promote sustainable development. In that sense, the Commission has included
in the above-mentioned agreement clauses concerning co-operation in the environmental sector. To this
end, Article 34 of the Global Agreement states that the preservation of the environment and ecological
balances shall be taken into account in all co-operation measures between the Union and Mexico. It also
makes specific reference to develop co-operation to prevent degradation of the environment; to promote
the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources; to develop, spread and exchange
information and experience on environmental legislation; to stimulate the use of economic incentives to
promote compliance; to strengthen environmental management at all levels of government; to promote
training of human resources, education in environmental topics and the execution of joint research
projects; to develop channels for social participation.

The Commission has underlined environment as a crosscutting issue in the country strategy paper, which
set up the priority co-operation actions to be implemented with Mexico for the period 2002-2006.
Moreover, the Union-Mexico Global Agreement foresees the negotiation of a bilateral agreement on
environment actually under consideration.

(2003/C 28 E/091)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1190/02

by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(26 April 2002)

Subject: Trade and environment

Mainstreaming environment in trade policy needs to be dealt with on a number of levels and also needs a
continuous dialogue with the EU’s trading partners. The Gothenburg Council has made a number of
recommendations in this regard.

In what way has the Commission ensured that, since the Gothenburg Council, the environment is covered
in the Commission Delegations in third countries, concerning staff, budget and activities? Which
delegations in which countries are at the forefront of this process?

Following the decision that Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIA) will be undertaken for all trade
negotiation proposals, will Environment DG officials take part
in the trade negotiations with third
countries on a regular and cross-disciplinary basis?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(17 June 2002)

As rightly stressed by the Honourable Member, integrating environment into trade policies has to be done
at various levels if we are to ensure a mutually supportive relationship between trade and environment.