WRITTEN QUESTION E-2171/02 by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission. Competition with agricultural production in the Azores as a result of the Poseima programme.
Date: 2002-07-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Azores, EU aid, Madeira, agricultural trade, restriction on competition

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deducted from the allowance. In calculating the amount of remuneration received for the new activity,
all forms of remuneration shall be included, except those representing reimbursement of expenses.

4.
On the date when he ceases to hold office, on 1 January of each year thereafter and in the event
of any changes in his financial situation, a Member of the Commission or of the Court shall declare to
the President of the institution in which he was previously employed all forms of remuneration
received for his services, except those representing reimbursement of expenses.

This declaration must be made in good faith and shall be treated as confidential. The information
contained therein shall not be used otherwise than for the purposes of this Regulation and shall not be
communicated to third persons.

Throughout the period of three years mentioned in paragraph 1, the former Member of the

5.
Commission or of the Court shall be entitled to the family allowances provided for in Article 3.

Article 8

After ceasing to hold office, Members of the Commission or of the Court shall be entitled to a

1.
pension for life payable from the date when they reached the age of sixty-five years.

2.

They may, however, ask to start drawing such a pension from the age of sixty years.

In that case a coefficient shall be applied to the pension as follows:

(cid:1) 60 years: 0,70;

(cid:1) 61 years: 0,75;

(cid:1) 62 years: 0,80;

(cid:1) 63 years: 0,87;

(cid:1) 64 years: 0,95.

Article 9

The amount of the pension shall be 4,5 % of the basic salary last received for each full year in office
and one-twelfth of that sum for each complete month. The maximum pension shall be 70 % of the
basic salary last received.

The transitional allowance and the life pension are subject to Community tax only and exempt from
national taxes (3). This Community tax is payable irrespective of the country of residence of the
ex-Member.

(1) Council Regulation No 422/67/EEC, 5/67 EURATOM of 25 July 1967 determining the emoluments of the President
and members of the Commission and of the President, Judges, Advocates-General and Registrar of the Court of
Justice (cid:1) OJ L 187, 8.8.1967 and subsequent amendments.
(2) Written question P-1197/02 (cid:1) OJ C 301 E, 5.12.2002, p. 102.
(3) Protocol on Privileges and Immunities of the European Communities signed in Brussels on 8 April 1965, annexed
to the Treaty; Regulation No549/69 of the Council of 25 March 1969 (2b); Regulation No 260/68 (EEC, Euratom,
ECSC).

(2003/C 222 E/004)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2171/02

by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

(18 July 2002)

Subject: Competition with agricultural production in the Azores as a result of the Poseima programme

Under the terms of Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1453/2001 (1) the Autonomous Region of the Azores
is entitled to import a large number of food products free of customs duty or with third-territory status,

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in particular products identical to those produced in the Azores, such as sugar, milk and meat, provided
that
including that specified in
Article 3(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1453/2001.

these products are not re-exported, with a number of exceptions,

According to this exception the re-export prohibition ‘shall not apply to trade flows between the Azores
and Madeira’.

By virtue of this provision products are being sold on the Azorean market at unbeatable prices after being
imported from the Autonomous Region of Madeira under the terms of
the Regulation. Can the
Commission therefore say whether it had this in mind when it promoted the amendment to Article 3(5) of
the Poseima Regulation?

If this was not the aim, does it not consider it should explain what its aim was, and prevent unfair
in accordance with its powers to draw up
competition with agricultural products from the Azores,
implementing regulations?

Does the Commission not consider that using the Poseima programme to prejudice the position of the
Autonomous Region of the Azores compared with what it should be if the general provisions of the
Treaty were applied directly is contrary to the spirit and the letter of Article 299(2)?

(1) OJ L 198, 21.7.2001, p. 26.

Supplementary answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(15 October 2002)

Council Regulation (EC) No 1453/2001 of 28 June 2001 introducing specific measures for certain
agricultural products for the Azores and Madeira and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 1600/92 (Poseima) (1)
exempts trade between the Azores and Madeira from the prohibition on re-exporting or re-dispatching
products supplied to either of these regions under the specific supply arrangements (SSA) laid down in that
Regulation.

This provision (2) was introduced by the Council at Portugal’s request in order to allow SSA products to be
traded between the Azores and Madeira.

The Commission’s information is that small quantities of these, including 50 tonnes of white sugar, were
re-dispatched to the Azores from Madeira in June 2002.

The Commission is closely watching these new trade flows and in the light of Article 229(2) of the
EC Treaty and Regulation (EC) No 1453/2001 will adopt any measures needed to ensure respect for the
Council’s intentions and safeguard local production in the outermost regions.

(1) OJ L 198, 21.7.2001.
(2) Not included in the Regulation as proposed by the Commission (cid:1) OJ C 96 E, 27.3.2001.

(2003/C 222 E/005)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2256/02

by María Sornosa Martínez(PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Aid for solar photovoltaic and thermal energy in Spain

(24 July 2002)

As part of the Plan de Fomento de Energías Renovables (Plan for the Promotion of Renewable Energy
Sources), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology recently published two decisions laying down
the rules governing the granting of support aid for solar photovoltaic and thermal energy and inviting
applications for such aid (Spanish Official Journal No 74).