WRITTEN QUESTION E-1479/03 by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission. Exports of fresh and frozen beef from Member States to the Vatican City State and management of the meat counters in the Vatican shop.
Date: 2003-05-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU production, Holy See, Italy, beef, confidentiality, domestic market, export, export refund, fraud against the EU, supermarket

20.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 70 E/43

Examination of this table shows that, for exports to the Vatican City State of ‘fresh and frozen beef’
(code 0201):

(a)

(b)

in 1999 exports from Italy totalled 39,592 kg for a refund of EUR 256 405,34, equivalent to aid of
EUR 6 476,19 per kg of meat exported;

in 2000 exports from Italy totalled 38,985 kg for a refund of EUR 305 341,16, equivalent to aid of
EUR 7 832,27 per kg of meat exported;

In all likelihood, 395 920 kg were exported in 1999 and 389 850 kg in 2000, at a more credible level of
aid of between EUR 0,65 and EUR 0,78 per kg of meat exported.

If one were to make these corrections, total exports would be 346 233 kg for 1998, 963 646 kg for 1999,
730 978,210 kg for 2000 and 212 249,800 kg for 2001.

Under Regulation (EC) No 419/2002 (2), it should also be possible for the tabular data, extracted from the
CATS database, to be used for monitoring and forecasting purposes.

It is specified in the table that the units of measurement, weights or quantities and the amounts in euro are
provided by the Member States.

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

(cid:1) whether the data supplied by the Member States are checked and who is responsible for doing this;

(cid:1) whether the quantities of fresh and frozen beef exported from Member States to the Vatican City State
were subject to any monitoring, what form that this took, and what forecasts were made in respect of
these quantities;

(cid:1) whether it does not consider the level of imports to the minuscule Vatican City State to be too high,

or in other words that it can be assumed these products are sold in Italy?

(1) OJ C 137 E, 12.6.2003, p. 172.
(2) OJ L 64, 7.3.2002, p. 8.

(2004/C 70 E/047)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1479/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(2 May 2003)

Subject: Exports of fresh and frozen beef from Member States to the Vatican City State and management of

the meat counters in the Vatican shop

In an interview published in March 2001 in the trade journal ‘Eurocarni’, Ruggero Guidoni, the head of
Guidoncarni, which is based in Torrevecchia (Rome), stated that in 2000 ‘Unicarni of Reggio Emilia … was
awarded the contract to supply meat to the supermarket run by the Vatican Governorate, where around
ten thousand consumers from that community, including purchasers for several religious houses, can buy
goods on production of the appropriate pass. Ildo Cigarini, the chairman of Unicarni, asked us to manage
the meat counters in the Vatican shop … and we took up a 30 % stake in the company Roma Carni 2000,
which was set up for that purpose. CIR Surgelati also took up a stake. The estimated turnover was
15-20 billion per annum. It could be even higher. Unfortunately the crisis upset these forecasts.’

In the period 1998/2000 the Vatican imported 22 529,27 quintals of meat from EU Member States and
received the export refunds provided for. These exports came from Belgium (579,84 q),
Ireland
(2 226,01 q), Italy (8 044,47 q) and the Netherlands (11 678,94 q).

C 70 E/44

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

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

(cid:1) what instruments the European Union has, or in other words what measures Italy has adopted, to
ensure that the Vatican does not (cid:1) directly or indirectly (cid:1) remarket in the European Union products
for which export refunds are granted;

(cid:1) whether the company that was awarded this meat management contract, or rather its constituent

companies, export meat to the Vatican directly or through an intermediary;

(cid:1) the names of the Belgian, Irish, Italian and Dutch companies that exported meat to the Vatican in the

period 1998/2001?

(2004/C 70 E/048)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1480/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(2 May 2003)

Subject: Refunds on exports from Member States to the Vatican City State of beet and cane sugar and

chemically pure sucrose in solid form

A table containing data on the quantities and value in euro of products for which export refunds are
granted was appended to the supplementary answer to question P-3202/02 (1).

Examination of this table shows that, for exports to the Vatican City State of ‘beet and cane sugar and
chemically pure sucrose in solid form’ (code 1701):

(a)

(b)

in 1999 exports from Italy totalled 79,075 kg for a refund of EUR 385 731,05, equivalent to aid of
EUR 4 878,04 per kg of sugar exported;

in 2000 exports from Italy totalled 70,115 kg for a refund of EUR 356 906,17, equivalent to aid of
EUR 5 090,30 per kg of sugar exported;

(c) no units of measurement are given for the two following sets of figures:

1.

2.

an export from France of 0,110 in 1998, equivalent to aid of EUR 44,18 and;

an export from Spain of 28,030 in 1999, equivalent to aid of EUR 1 268,38.

In all likelihood, the correct figures should be: a) 790 750 kg; b) 701 150 kg; c) 110 kg; d) 2 803 kg, at a
level of aid ranging between a more credible EUR 0,40 and EUR 0,51 per kg of sugar exported.

If one were to make these corrections, total exports would be 727 810 kg for 1998, 793 553 kg for 1999,
1 012 800 kg for 2000 and 26 435,300 kg for 2001.

Under Regulation (EC) No 419/2002 (2), it should also be possible for the tabular data, extracted from the
CATS database, to be used for monitoring and forecasting purposes.

It is specified in the table that the units of measurement, weights or quantities and the amounts in euro are
provided by the Member States.

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

(cid:1) whether the data supplied by the Member States are checked and who is responsible for doing this;

(cid:1) whether the quantities of beet and cane sugar and chemically pure sucrose in solid form exported
from Member States to the Vatican City State were subject to any monitoring, what form that this
took, and what forecasts were made in respect of these quantities;

(cid:1) whether it does not consider the level of imports to the minuscule Vatican City State to be too high,

or in other words that it can be assumed these products are sold in Italy?

(1) OJ C 137 E, 12.6.2003, p. 172.
(2) OJ L 64, 7.3.2002, p. 8.