WRITTEN QUESTION E-2021/03 by Sérgio Marques (PPE-DE) to the Council. Support scheme for producers in the fisheries sector.
Date: 2003-06-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: fishery product, impact study, peripheral region, sales aid, support policy

26.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 51 E/181

reports of the Member States has revealed that a significant number of firms did not apply the reduced rate
as foreseen by the legislation. These firms considered that the arrangements for implementing the measure
were too complex. It was also one of the sectors where the incidence of the fall in VAT rates on prices was
most limited. The Commission’s comprehensive evaluation report may be found at the following address:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/taxation/labour_intensive/labour_intensive_fr.htm#Rapport

The Commission intends to present a proposal for a directive on reduced VAT rates by the summer of
2003. The main aim of this proposal will be to improve the functioning of the internal market by
rationalising Member States’ use of reduced rates in order to avoid potential distortions of competition by
giving Member States equal opportunities to apply reduced rates.

The proposal will take into account the results of the experiment of lower VAT rates for labour-intensive
services.

The Commission is fully aware of the impact that badly maintained cycles can have on road safety and safe
cycling. However, it needs to examine carefully whether a reduction in VAT rates is an appropriate way of
resolving the problem.

The Commission does not intend to introduce quality standards or a quality label for cycles.

(2004/C 51 E/201)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2021/03

by Sérgio Marques (PPE-DE) to the Council

(17 June 2003)

Subject: Support scheme for producers in the fisheries sector

In 1992, to compensate for the fact that certain outermost regions are islands, a support scheme was
adopted for producers in the fisheries sector, providing for contributions to offset the additional marketing
and transport costs that they were incurring because there were no regional markets near at hand and the
cost of transport from the regions concerned to the mainland was high.

New regulations were adopted in 1994, 1995, and 1998 in order to continue the measures laid down in
the initial regulation. The last of these regulations (Regulation (EC) No 1587/98 (1)) remained in force until
31 December 2002.

Although the Commission has always proposed that a permanent scheme be established, given that
remoteness and the other specific characteristics affecting the outermost regions (small size, the fact of
being islands, difficult topography and climate, etc.) are factors which cannot be altered, the Council’s
decision to date has been that the scheme should be limited in time.

What is the reason for this attitude?

(1) OJ L 208, 24.7.1998, p. 1.

Reply

(13 October 2003)

The Council is aware of the specific handicaps affecting the structural economic and social situation of the
outermost regions, and which exist in various areas, in particular the fisheries sector.

In this connection, the Council has given special attention to the problem of the additional cost involved
in transporting fishery products to markets as a result of the outermost regions’ remoteness and isolation.
Thus, it adopted on 17 July 1998 Regulation (EC) No 1587/98 introducing a scheme to compensate for
the additional costs incurred in the marketing of certain fishery products from the Azores, Madeira, the
Canary Islands and the French departments of Guiana and Réunion as a result of
those regions’
remoteness. That scheme expired on 31 December 2001.

C 51 E/182

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

26.2.2004

The Honourable Member is doubtless aware that Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1587/98 provided for a
detailed evaluation of the impact of the implementation of the special measures adopted for the fisheries
sector in those regions to be made by 1 June 2001.

To date, that evaluation has not yet been placed before the Parliament and the Council.

Pending the relevant report the Council, acting on a Commission proposal, has seen fit to extend the
scheme by one year,
i.e. until 31 December 2002 (Regulation No 579/2002), in order to ensure the
continuity of its legal framework.

The Council has not yet received an appropriate proposal from the Commission concerning arrangements
for the scheme with effect from 1 January 2003.

(2004/C 51 E/202)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2025/03

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 June 2003)

Subject: Clophen leakage

Following the recent leakage of clophen in an electricity plant in the basement of a building in Syntagma
Square (Greece), will the Commission say what stage has been reached in the infringement proceedings it
initiated against Greece in April 2000, because the latter omitted to submit inventories of equipment with
PCB, a plan for the disposal of such equipment and outlines for the collection and subsequent disposal of
equipment which is not subject to inventory, in accordance with Articles 4.1 and 11 of Directive 96/59/
EC (1)? Is the Commission aware of the whereabouts and use made since 1994 of the millions of euros set
aside in the operational programme on the environment for the management and disposal of toxic waste?

(1) OJ L 243, 24.9.1996, p. 31.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(7 August 2003)

Article 4(1) of Council Directive 96/59/EC of 16 September 1996 on the disposal of polychlorinated
biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/PCT) requires Member States to establish an inventory of
equipment containing more than five cubic decimetres (5 dm3) of PCBs and to submit a summary of such
inventory to the Commission. In addition, according to Article 11 of the Directive, Member States have to
draw up and communicate to the Commission plans for the decontamination and/or disposal of
inventoried equipment and the PCBs contained therein and outlines for the collection and subsequent
disposal of equipment which is not subject to inventory in accordance with Article 4(1).

In its judgement delivered on 5 June 2003 (case C-83/02), the Court of Justice declared that ‘by failing to
draw up, within the prescribed period, summaries of inventories of equipment with PCB volumes of more
than 5 dm3, plans for the decontamination and/or disposal of
inventoried equipment and the PCBs
contained therein, and outlines for the collection and subsequent disposal of equipment which is not
subject
in accordance with Articles 4(1) and 11 of Council Directive 96/59/EC of
16 September 1996 on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/
PCT), the Hellenic Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under that Directive’.

to inventory,

According to Article 228 of the EC Treaty, Greece must take the necessary measures to comply with the
judgment of the Court of Justice. If Greece fails to take the necessary measures to comply with the Court’s
judgment, the Commission could open an infringement procedure under Article 228.

The Operational Programme for Environment for the period 1994-1999 included indeed a measure
(measure 2,5) with a Community aid of circa EUR 32 million for projects related to waste and toxic waste
management.