WRITTEN QUESTION E-1238/02 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission. Children's rights.
Date: 2002-04-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community budget, children's rights, development aid

C 52 E/50

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

(2003/C 52 E/057)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1228/02

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(29 April 2002)

Subject: Bilateral agreements with the Swiss Confederation

Can the Commission provide information on the exact time-scales for the entry into force of the bilateral
treaties between the EU and the Swiss Confederation?

further agreements are under consideration, and,

What
Switzerland’s accession to the Schengen agreement?

in particular, what are the prospects for

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(11 June 2002)

The seven bilateral agreements the Union has signed with Switzerland on 21 June 1999 will enter into
force on 1 June 2002. These agreements have been published in the Official Journal (1).

Currently, the Commission is negotiating with Switzerland bilateral agreements on cooperation in the fight
against fraud, on statistical cooperation, on the Swiss participation in the European Environment Agency
and on the modification of the Protocol to the Free Trade Agreement as regards processed agricultural
products.
In addition the Commission is looking forward to immediately start negotiations with
Switzerland on the taxation of savings.

Further agreements are under consideration for the future. In this context the Commission has made
recommendations to the Council with the aim of getting authorisation to start negotiations with
Switzerland on free trade in services, the Swiss participation in the Media programmes and the Swiss
association to the areas covered by the Schengen and Dublin acquis.

At the time being it is impossible to give any indication regarding the prospects for a Swiss association to
Schengen and Dublin.

(1) OJ L 114, 30.4.2002.

(2003/C 52 E/058)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1238/02

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(30 April 2002)

Subject: Children’s rights

What progress has the Commission made in the implementation of the budget line on the integration of
child rights into development cooperation?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(19 June 2002)

The Commission is currently finalising the programming for budget line B7-624 ‘Integration of children’s
rights into development cooperation’.

this budget

The funds will be used for general awareness-raising and training in the field of children’s rights in order to
ensure that those rights are taken fully into account by both State and non-State actors. Activities funded
under
international
mechanisms, agreements and instruments, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the
Outcome Document of the recent United Nations (UN) General Assembly Special Session on Children.
They may address rights of the child issues at a global or regional level.

line should draw, as appropriate, on the provisions of

relevant

6.3.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 52 E/51

The Commission proposes to publish a pre-qualification tender in the field and after screening the best
proposals received, will invite a restricted number of organisations to submit a complete project proposal.
The best of these will then be selected.

(2003/C 52 E/059)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1245/02

by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 April 2002)

Subject: Introduction of excise duty on wine

A few days ago the Commission submitted a proposal to introduce a minimum rate of excise duty on wine
of EUR 0,14 per litre as from 2003 and EUR 0,15 as from 2007. The current rate of excise duty is zero in
Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Germany.

Given that, since 1997, the Italian wine-growing sector has had to put up with a VAT increase (now 20 %)
and that the agricultural sector is already subject to the IRAP (regional tax on production):

1. Does the Commission agree that, on the agri-foodstuffs market, excise duty on wine will have an

adverse effect on the wine-growing sector?

2. Does it agree that an increase in the price of wine will be harmful mainly to consumers, who will bear

the burden of rising production costs?

3. Does it agree that the reform of the CAP has already adversely affected production costs by reducing

Community aid to the wine-growing sector;

4. How does it view the introduction in the agricultural sector of a production tax normally applied to

industrial products (traditionally referred to as ‘excise duty’)?

(2003/C 52 E/060)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1262/02

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(6 May 2002)

Subject: Excise duty on wine

Organisations representing wine-producers consider the introduction of a minimum excise duty on wine of
EUR 0,14 per litre (270) from 2003 and 0,15 from 2007, proposed by the technical services of the
Commission, to be a misguided and dangerous idea, because it would obstruct the development of one of
the most advanced sectors of farming. In Italy alone it would be levied on 53 million hectolitres. In 1997
wine-producers saw VAT increase to 20 % and the proposed excise duty would be a further levy, with an
additional impact on consumption. Furthermore, since 1998 Italian agriculture has had the additional
burden of
tax on business activities), which in the ‘wine-growing provinces’ has a
substantial impact on the local economies which depend on wine.

IRAP (regional

In view of all this, does not the Commission consider that the proposed excise duty on wine would be an
unsustainable burden on producers?

It would also hit
Commission estimated the heavy direct burden on the market?

the consumer, since excise duty ultimately becomes a production cost. Has the

In view of the increase in VAT, would not the introduction of excise duty be tantamount to accepting the
principle of a double levy on consumption?