WRITTEN QUESTION E-2632/03 by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission. Refunds on exports from Member States to the Vatican City State of fresh and frozen beef (code 0201) for 1999. Inconsistencies between CATS and OECD data..
Date: 2003-09-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Holy See, beef, data processing, export refund, fraud against the EU, frozen product, trade volume

C 78 E/136

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

(2004/C 78 E/0138)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2631/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(2 September 2003)

Subject: Refunds on exports from Member States to the Vatican City State of fresh and frozen beef

(code 0201) for 1998. Inconsistencies between CATS and OECD data.

In response to questions E-1477/03 and E-1480/03 (1) relating to refunds on exports of agricultural
products from Member States to the Vatican City State (VCS), Commissioner Fischler stated on 21 May
2003 that the Commission was collecting the information it needed to answer the question and would
communicate its findings as soon as possible.

The following supplementary data can be supplied in relation to the export of fresh and frozen beef (code
0201):

(a)

the European Commission’s CATS (Clearance Audit Trail System) database shows that in 1998:

(cid:1) 346 233 kg were exported from Holland to the VCS with a refund of EUR 233 566,63 equivalent

to aid of EUR 0,67/kg;

(b)

the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) database shows that in 1998:

(cid:1) 314 600 kg were exported from Holland, 240 100 kg from Italy, 329 600 from Ireland and

74 700 kg from Belgium to the VCS;

(c)

this indicates that:

(cid:1) unwarranted aid of EUR 21 339,43 was paid on an additional 31 633 kg not shown in the OECD

data;

(cid:1) no application was made for aid of EUR 434 708,24 for the export of 644 400 kg on which

Community aid could have been paid.

Could the Commission state the technical reasons for the foregoing of this Community aid?

Does it not agree that the increasingly patent omissions and the discrepancies between the data from the
different institutional sources seriously affect the credibility of these institutions and might be due to
possible fraud against Community funds, or is it already able to discount this possibility of fraud?

(1) OJ C 70 E 20.3.2004, p. 45.

(2004/C 78 E/0139)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2632/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(2 September 2003)

Subject: Refunds on exports from Member States to the Vatican City State of fresh and frozen beef

(code 0201) for 1999. Inconsistencies between CATS and OECD data.

In response to questions E-1477/03 and E-1480/03 (1) relating to refunds on exports of agricultural
products from Member States to the Vatican City State (VCS), Commissioner Fischler stated on 21 May
2003 that the Commission was collecting the information it needed to answer the question and would
communicate its findings as soon as possible.

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/137

The following supplementary data can be supplied in relation to the export of fresh and frozen beef
(code 0201):

(a)

the European Commission’s CATS (Clearance Audit Trail System) database shows that in 1999:

(cid:1) 57 984 kg were exported from Belgium to the VCS with a refund of EUR 40 732,82, equivalent to

aid of EUR 0,70/kg;

(cid:1) 163 960 kg were exported from Ireland to the VCS with a refund of EUR 93 598,44 equivalent to

aid of EUR 0,57/kg;

(cid:1) 395 920 kg were exported from Italy to the VCS with a refund of EUR 256 405,34 equivalent to

aid of EUR 0,65/kg;

(cid:1) 345 782 kg were exported from Holland to the VCS with a refund of EUR 268 925,00 equivalent

to aid of EUR 0,78/kg;

(b)

the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) database shows that in 1999:

(cid:1) 12 200 kg were exported from Ireland, 472 800 kg from Italy and 363 000 kg from Holland to

the VCS,

(c) This indicates that:

(cid:1) unwarranted aid of EUR 127 366,75 was paid on an additional 209 744,00 kg not shown in the

OECD data;

(cid:1) no application was made for aid of EUR 63 179,91 for the export of 94 098 kg on which

Community aid could have been paid.

Could the Commission state the technical reasons for the foregoing of this Community aid?

Does it not agree that the increasingly patent omissions and the discrepancies between the data from the
different institutional sources seriously affect the credibility of these institutions and might be due to
possible fraud against Community funds, or is it already able to discount this possibility of fraud?

(1) OJ C 70 E, 20.3.2004, p. 45.

(2004/C 78 E/0140)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2633/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(2 September 2003)

Subject: Refunds on exports from Member States to the Vatican City State of fresh and frozen beef

(code 0201) for 2000. Inconsistencies between CATS and OECD data.

In response to questions E-1477/03 and E-1480/03 (1) relating to refunds on exports of agricultural
products from Member States to the Vatican City State (VCS), Commissioner Fischler stated on 21 May
2003 that the Commission was collecting the information it needed to answer the question and would
communicate its findings as soon as possible.

The following supplementary data can be supplied in relation to the export of fresh and frozen beef
(code 0201):

(a)

the European Commission’s CATS (Clearance Audit Trail System) database shows that in 2000:

(cid:1) 46 404,210 kg were exported from Ireland to the VCS with a refund of EUR 38 323,65,

equivalent to aid of EUR 0,83/kg;

(cid:1) 389 850 kg were exported from Italy to the VCS with a refund of EUR 305 341,16 equivalent to

aid of EUR 0,78/kg;

(cid:1) 294 544 kg were exported from Holland to the VCS with a refund of EUR 211 144,95 equivalent

to aid of EUR 0,72/kg;