WRITTEN QUESTION E-0897/03 by Hedwig Keppelhoff-Wiechert (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Proposal for a Council regulation on the common organisation of the market in ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin (COM(2001) 101 final — C5-0095/01) in particular, measures for the agricultural alcohol market/Article 10.
Date: 2003-03-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EC Regulation, Germany, State aid, agricultural product, alcoholic beverage, cereal product, derogation from EU law, distillation, ethanol, spirits

20.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 70 E/31

(2004/C 70 E/034)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0897/03

by Hedwig Keppelhoff-Wiechert (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 March 2003)

Subject: Proposal for a Council regulation on the common organisation of the market in ethyl alcohol of
the

in particular, measures

agricultural origin (COM(2001) 101 final (cid:1) C5-0095/01)
agricultural alcohol market/Article 10

for

it

is usually family farms which run corn distilleries producing agricultural alcohol.
In Germany,
The Commission now intends to destroy these traditional agricultural production methods with the above
proposal for a regulation. This agricultural activity will suddenly and without good reason be transformed
into an industry.

A distinction must be made between the terms ‘ethyl alcohol’ and ‘spirits’. Distillates should only be classed
as ‘spirits’ when they are ready for use. Coarse and fine corn distillates are agricultural and not commercial
products.

Why does the above proposal for a regulation not distinguish between coarse and fine corn distillates on
the one hand and the finished product corn schnapps on the other?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(20 June 2003)

The Article 10 to which the Honourable Member refers provides for the application of rules on national
aid in the alcohol sector in accordance with Article 34 of the Treaty. The Commission is fully aware of the
German production structure’s specific situation and a compromise solution on that article was found in
order to enable that system to operate during a ten-year transitional period. The Council therefore adopted
the Regulation (1) with the agreement of all delegations except Italy.

The Commission is of the opinion that, since distillates possess all the characteristics of spirit drinks, they
are to be classified as such even if they are not yet ready for direct human consumption. By contrast,
distillates which are used to make ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin are to be regarded as products falling
under Annex I to the EC Treaty. Korn is a spirit drink defined and protected in Community legislation (2).
There is nothing in the definition of that drink to suggest that this distillate, like the distillate of any other
spirit drink covered by that legislation (such as whisky or wine spirits) may be regarded as an agricultural
product which would become a spirit drink (ready for human consumption) and therefore a
non-agricultural product. The product which is distilled in accordance with the rules laid down in the
definitions contained in the above Regulation and which is obtained from the distillation process is to be
regarded as a spirit drink and marketed as such.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 670/2003 of 8 April 2003 laying down specific measures concerning the market in

ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, OJ L 97, 15.4.2003.

(2) Council Regulation (EEC) No 1576/89 of 29 May 1989 laying down general rules on the definition, description and

presentation of spirit drinks, OJ L 160, 12.6.1989.

(2004/C 70 E/035)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1076/03

by Peter Skinner (PSE) to the Commission

(31 March 2003)

Subject: Motorola Computer Group and Wordsworth Technologies Ltd and price fixing

I have received a letter regarding Motorola UK who have refused to accept purchase orders from
Wordsworth Technology Ltd. They believe that they are being cut out because they have identified a price
fixing scam run by the Motorola Computer Group. They have tried to source parts from Germany, but feel
they were prevented from doing so by Motorola, and their current source in Hong Kong is under the same
threat.