WRITTEN QUESTION E-2401/03 by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Exemption from VAT on postage for charities.
Date: 2003-07-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Ireland, VAT, association, derogation from EU law, postal charges, postal service, tax harmonisation, tax system

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/409

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(12 August 2003)

The Commission is aware of the general situation in Venezuelan prisons and the conditions of detention.

The consular protection of Union citizens is a matter for the respective Member States rather than a
Community competence. Through their respective diplomatic missions, Member States closely follow the
imprisoned Union citizens. Some Member States have mechanisms to support
situation of individual
prisoners, which they put to use to the best of their ability. These include the possibility of repatriation as
well as financial help and health services.

In addition to the international convention on serving sentences in the country of origin, some Member
States have bilateral agreements with Venezuela. However, procedures under these agreements are
cumbersome and can take up to two years.

Three Member States, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, presented a démarche to the Venezuelan Home
Minister in May 2003. The Commission is prepared to consult Member States with a view to carrying out
a EU démarche at EU level vis-à-vis the Venezuelan authorities. The objective of the démarche should be to
urge the Venezuelan authorities to comply with the obligations under the International Convention on
serving sentences in the country of origin, as well as to request an improved application of relevant
bilateral agreements with Member States. The démarche could also remind the Venezuelan authorities of
their obligation under international law to ensure humane conditions of detention for imprisoned aliens.

In view of a lack of Community competence, the Commission does not receive systematic information
about the situation of Union citizens imprisoned in third countries.

(2004/C 88 E/0415)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2401/03

by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 July 2003)

Subject: Exemption from VAT on postage for charities

Further to the Commission proposal to put VAT on postage and recognising that this would impose a
severe financial burden on charities that depend on direct mail fundraising and are not eligible to reclaim
VAT in the same way as ordinary businesses.

Can the Commission advise whether it will be possible for charities that have the specific difficulty of not
being able to reclaim VAT under Irish tax law to secure an exemption from this EU legislation?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(5 September 2003)

The Commission’s Proposal (1) amending Directive 77/388/EEC (2) as regards value added tax (VAT) on
services provided in the postal sector, would allow Member States to apply a reduced rate to most postal
services now used by private consumers. The scope of the proposed reduced rate would include direct mail
sent by charities for fundraising purposes. According to the Commission’s projections, were Ireland to
apply a reduced rate of 5 % to those postal services, prices should not increase. The reason is that An Post
is currently unable to deduct VAT it pays on its costs, most of it at the standard 21 % VAT rate. Once the
proposal is adopted, the Post Office’s costs will go down since it will be able to deduct VAT paid on them.

C 88 E/410

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

VAT takes account of the particular social interest involved in charitable activities by exempting certain
supplies of goods and services effected by charities. It does not however exempt supplies effected by other
businesses and acquired by charities. It is not practical to devise a system with different VAT liabilities for
postal services depending on who is the person acquiring those services. Such a system would involve
enormous compliance costs for postal operators, and be difficult for tax administrations to control.

(1) COM(2003) 234 final.
(2) Sixth Council Directive 77/388/EEC of 17 May 1977 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States
relating to turnover taxes-Common system of value added tax: uniform basis of assessment, OJ L 145, 13.6.1977.

(2004/C 88 E/0416)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2420/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(21 July 2003)

Subject: Repeated Israeli accusations against Palestinian media and school textbooks and the consequent

continued campaign against payments from the EU

1.
Is the Commission aware that the Israeli ‘Palestinian Media Watch’ organisation, which has been
monitoring Palestinian TV broadcasts, newspapers and school textbooks for the past six years, takes the
view that, even in recent broadcasts and publications, the Jewish inhabitants of Israel are being depicted as
casual colonial invaders who have no historical connection with the region, that Jaffa (currently a suburb
of Tel Aviv), Beersheba and the Sea of Galilee (Yam Kinneret) are being described as being part of Palestine
and that young people are being urged to sacrifice themselves and die a martyr’s death through ‘shahada’?

2.
Is the Commission also aware that, according to that same source, an opinion poll carried out in
August 2002 at the Palestinian Birzeit University showed that 42 % of all Palestinians were in favour of a
multiparty democracy and 42 % of an Islamic one-party state, whereas, as a result of the propaganda aimed
at the younger generation, 58 % of those aged between 18 and 25 were in favour of an Islamic one-party
state?

3.
Is the Commission aware that this disturbing information is being used again and again as an
argument for ending EU financial support for the areas administered by the Palestinian Authority, thereby
hampering efforts to bring Palestine’s educational system and economy as far as possible up to the level of
Israel’s?

4.
In the light of the most recent accusations, is the Commission still certain that the budgetary support
and project funding supplied by the EU cannot also be allocated for propaganda purposes by the parties
concerned with a view to achieving unilateral and violent solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

5. What can the Commission do in order to ensure that, with the welcome continuation and expansion
of aid to the Palestinian people, the climate for the establishment of a fully-fledged Palestinian State and
peaceful coexistence with its neighbour Israel in recognised and secure borders is not destroyed?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(12 September 2003)

The Commission is aware of the work of the Israeli ‘Palestinian Media Watch’ organisation and other

1.
organisations which have produced reports on the content of Palestinian media and school curricula.

2.

3.

The Commission is also aware of the opinion poll referred to.

The Commission is aware of the use being made of this information.