WRITTEN QUESTION E-0276/03 by Wolfgang Ilgenfritz (NI) to the Council. Transfer of currency reserves.
Date: 2003-02-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belgium, European System of Central Banks, Italy, Netherlands, capital transfer, foreign-exchange reserves, monetary policy, single monetary policy

18.9.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 222 E/177

Added to the tangible problem of the loss of jobs and the crises likely to ensue in many families there will
be the economic damage occasioned by the loss of the skills of entire categories of worker, which will
result in the dissipation of a human and cultural heritage developed through years of work and tradition.

In the light of the above, could the Council indicate:

1. what type of measures are envisaged for categories of worker hard hit by the momentous event which

is enlargement;

2. whether it does not consider it appropriate to bring forward a proposal for a directive promoting the

retraining of all those workers who will lose their jobs on what are today’s external borders;

3. whether on the same basis a compensation scheme might be envisaged, by way of derogation from

the rules on State aid, for companies that will have to cease operating;

4. what sort of contribution countries who are set to join the EU might be asked to make to these

compensation measures?

Reply

(13 May 2003)

The enlargement of the European Union represents a historic opportunity for peace and prosperity in
Europe. If it is to succeed, it must receive as much support as possible from the public in both the Member
States and the ten countries which are preparing to join. In that respect, it is clear that enlargement is
bound to raise fears concerning the prospect of
increased competition in regions bordering those
countries.

In order to respond to those concerns, and at the invitation of the Nice European Council, the Commission
forwarded a plan of action for cross-border regions (1) to the Council in July 2001. The aim of the plan,
which concerns 23 regions with a population of around 33 million inhabitants,
is to facilitate the
transition towards economic integration. Furthermore, on the initiative of the European Parliament, a
specific budget heading was created to finance pilot projects in favour of those regions. Hence in 2000 a
total of EUR 20 million was allocated to that budget heading to finance various initiatives, particularly to
assist small and medium-sized undertakings in the sectors affected by enlargement. This is in addition to
the substantial aid which border regions are already receiving (or will do when they accede) from the
structural funds, more particularly under the Interreg programme.

The Council would invite the Honourable Member to contact the Commission directly in order to obtain
detailed information from it on the facilities which may be available to undertakings to enable them to
face up to the special problems resulting from enlargement in the context of the implementation of the
guidelines which it has established with regard to State aid at regional level.

(1) COM(2001) 437 final, 25.7.2001.

(2003/C 222 E/204)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0276/03

by Wolfgang Ilgenfritz (NI) to the Council

(7 February 2003)

Subject: Transfer of currency reserves

Transfers of currency reserves have reportedly taken place in Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy without
objections being raised by the competent EU authorities.

Have currency reserves held by national banks in fact been transferred and can these reserves then be used
freely on the basis of national budget decisions (e.g. to finance public road-building or research)?

Must EU authorities, and if so, which ones, authorise such transfers, or can such a decision be taken solely
at national level?

What volume of currency reserves are available for transfer in the individual countries involved?

C 222 E/178

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

Reply

(13 May 2003)

In accordance with Article 31 paragraph 2 of the Statute of the ESCB and the ECB and subject to Article 23
thereof (fulfilment of external obligations of national central banks), operations in foreign reserve assets
remaining with the national central banks after the obligatory transfers of such assets to the ECB for the
purposes of the monetary policy of the Community, are subject to approval by the ECB in order to ensure
their consistency with the exchange rate and monetary policies of the Community.

(2003/C 222 E/205)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0282/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Customs regime for tahini imports to Poland

(7 February 2003)

Greece exports to the Polish market a product with the commercial name of ‘tahini’. On the basis of its
production process, this product comes under customs category 12.08 and, under this category, the
import duty from Greece into Poland amounts to 9 % of its customs value. Poland’s Ministry of Economic
Affairs has classified the product in customs category 20.08, catapulting the import duty up to 35 % of its
customs value, and has imposed retrospective duty for all imports of the product over the past three years.

This decision by the Polish Government is directly detrimental, making Greek exports of the product
prohibitive in practice and causing irreparable damage to the exporters being asked to pay retrospective
duty covering a three-year period. In view of this:

1. Can it be valid to impose retroactively increased duties on the import of tahini, given that changes
must be based on the principle of ‘legitimate expectation’ and given the need for a secure basis on
which to do business?

2. Could the Customs Code Committee deliver an opinion readjusting the duty on imports of tahini into

Poland to 9 %?

Answer given by M. Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(18 March 2003)

1.
Yes, under Community legislation and in the absence of valid Binding Tariff Information (BTI) issued
by the Community’s customs administration it is possible to change the classification of a product and to
recover the import duty unless regulations concerning the protection of goodwill are applied. Polish
customs legislation is similar to the Community’s and therefore the same principles apply in Poland.

No Poland is not yet a Community Member so the Customs Code Committee’s decisions are not
2.
applicable in that country. Even if this Committee admitted that the product in question should be
classified under customs heading 12.08 of
the Nomenclature annexed to the Convention on the
Harmonised System (HS), the matter can only be resolved by bilateral agreement between the Community
and Poland in conformity with Article 10.1 of the Convention on HS to which Poland and the Community
are contracting parties.

If agreement cannot be reached, the matter could be settled by a decision of the HS Committee of the
the HS

3.
World Customs Organisation in accordance with the ‘dispute settlement’
Convention.

in Article 10.2 of

4.
However, note that in view of the procedures to be followed, any decision by the HS Committee
cannot be taken until after Poland’s accession to the Union. The Commission can then examine the
possibility of raising this issue bilaterally with Poland.