WRITTEN QUESTION E-2527/03 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission. Rum.
Date: 2003-07-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: ACP countries, beverage industry, common tariff policy, generalised preferences, spirits, trade relations

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/625

The CARDS annual programmes have been approved by the Member States and are available on the
7.
Commission’s Europa website (http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/cards/publications_en.htm#4).
A works contract forecast for the asylum centre in Trstenik has been available on the website of the
Commission Delegation in Zagreb since January 2003.

The Tacis indicative programmes referred above are also public and can be consulted on Europa website
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/ceeca/rsp/progs.htm).

8.
The reform of their asylum system should allow those countries to comply with the Geneva
Convention and relevant international Human Rights instruments including the European Convention on
Human Rights for countries which are party to this Convention. The Community cooperation programmes
on asylum aim at ensuring the full compliance with the Geneva Convention. Concerning the Candidate
Countries, the aim is to ensure compliance with both the 1951 Geneva Convention and the European
Convention of Human Rights.

The Honourable Member will also be aware of the ten conditions proposed by the Commission in its
Communication of June 2003 (2), which need to be fulfilled in designing new Union approaches to asylum
systems and in particular the need for full respect for international human rights standards.

A complementary background document is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s
Secretariat.

(1) Council Directive 2003/9 EC of 27 January 2003 laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum

seekers, OJ L 31, 6.2.2003.

(2) COM(2003) 315 final.

(2004/C 88 E/0643)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2527/03

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(29 July 2003)

Subject: Rum

The EU has recognised the importance of the rum sector for the economic and social development of
some ACP countries. Special provisions for rum are contained in the EU-US Agreement on White Spirits
to back up this recognition. The terms of the Special Memorandum on rum attached to this zero for zero
agreement establishes a residual tariff that provides both ACP and EU rum producers in the French DOM a
small measure of continuing preference in the European market until such time as traditional suppliers
might move from the production of commodity rums to value-added branded products able to compete
with large and often subsidised producers in third countries.

Would the Commission, therefore, outline what measures it intends to take during the upcoming GSP
review to ensure its commitments to ACP rum producers are kept? Would the Commission confirm that
rum is excluded from the GSP review?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(22 August 2003)

The Joint Declaration on Rum (Declaration XXV) of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP) (cid:1)
Union Partnership Agreement recognises the importance of the rum sector for the economic and social
from the
development of several ACP countries and regions and the challenges it faces,
liberalisation of the European rum market.

inter alia,

In the aim of honouring the declaration and providing support to enable ACP rum exporters to increase
competitiveness and notably to assist the ACP rum industry to move out of bulk commodity production
into higher-value branded rum products, the Union has approved a EUR 70 million programme. This

C 88 E/626

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

programme is now fully operational, the regional association of Caribbean rum producers, Wirspa, having
been strengthened in order to take care of the management of the different programme activities.

Rum is not included in the general arrangements of the Union’s current General system of preferences
(GSP) scheme which ends on 31 December 2004 although it is included in the GSP’s scheme for the least
developed countries for which imports of all products except arms and ammunition are duty-free (under
the so-called Everything but arms (EBA) scheme). The Commission does not foresee a change to the
situation with regards to rum even after the review of the current GSP.

(2004/C 88 E/0644)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2622/03

by Philip Claeys (NI) to the Commission

(28 August 2003)

Subject: Relations with Libya

Earlier this month the Libyan leader, Colonel Gadaffi, accepted responsibility for the bombing of PanAm
Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1988. That act of terrorism claimed 207 lives. Libya is now prepared to pay
compensation to the next of kin, its intention in so doing being to have international sanctions lifted.

On 18 August 2003, Commission President Prodi had a telephone conversation with Colonel Gadaffi; they
spoke about the normalisation of Libya-EU relations. Libya is being invited to take part in the Euro-
Mediterranean Process.

Problems in connection with Libyan terrorist attacks in the past have not yet been completely resolved,
however. France opposes the lifting of sanctions against Libya until compensation has been paid to the
next of kin of the victims of the attack on a UTA aircraft over Niger in 1989. That attack claimed 170
lives. Is the Commission planning to normalise relations with Libya before this French request has been
complied with?

Libya has a dirty past with regard to conducting and backing international terrorism. Is normalisation of
relations with the EU tied to conditions and guarantees in this respect? What formal agreements are being
sought in this connection?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(19 September 2003)

United Nations (UN) sanctions have been imposed to Libya in 1992 and 1993 in relation to the Lockerbie
bombing. In 1999, against the background of Libyan co-operation with the Lockerbie investigation, the
UN suspended those sanctions. As a result of an agreement reached on Lockerbie between the United
States, the United Kingdom and Libya, a draft UN Security Council Resolution has been introduced by
United Kingdom/Bulgaria on 18 August 2003 to lift the UN sanctions.

It is in this context that Colonel Kadhafi called President Prodi. The President encouraged Libya to solve
Lockerbie and all other issues, on the basis of requests from the international community. Should the UN
sanctions be lifted as a result of a positive UN vote, yet to take place, this will constitute an important step
towards the reintegration of Libya into the international community. At present, Libya is an observer to
the Barcelona Process, and is invited to become a full member under the strict condition that it accepts the
Barcelona ‘acquis’ without any conditions (and also the lifting of the UN sanctions). Libya is also included
in the new neighbourhood policy of the Union, in the context of a relationship based on the respect of
shared values.