WRITTEN QUESTION E-2889/03 by Samuli Pohjamo (ELDR)and Mikko Pesälä (ELDR) to the Commission. Need for a minimum import price for, and import duty on, Norwegian salmon and rainbow trout.
Date: 2003-09-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Norway, anti-dumping legislation, anti-subsidy proceeding, aquaculture, customs duties, fish, import price, minimum price, production cost

C 88 E/118

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

(2004/C 88 E/0125)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2884/03

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 September 2003)

Subject: Persecution of Christians in Egypt

Is the Commission aware of the recent arrest at Cairo airport of two Egyptian Christians, Malak Cuirguis
Fahmay and his wife Sarah Mikhail Lahzy (formerly known as Naglaa Hussein Ibrahim), a convert to
Christianity, on the grounds that she had forged her identity card in order to reflect her new identity as a
Christian as a result of the official policy of preventing converts from Islam to Christianity from changing
their name and religion in their papers? Does the Commission regard such a policy as a fundamental
breach of human rights and, if so, has the Commission raised this with the Egyptian government as well as
the arrests at the airport and the treatment of the accused?

Is the Commission also aware of concern on the part of the Egyptian Coptic community about systematic
intimidation directed against members of their community and of the failure of the government to and
police to offer proper protection, of which the murder of twenty-one Christians in El-Kosheh in January,
2000 was the most tragic expression, and, if so, has the Commission raised with the Egyptian government
the issue of the safety of the Coptic community in Egypt?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(21 October 2003)

In previous answers to Written Question E-2086/03 by Mrs Kinnock (1) and E-2557/03 by Mr Evans (2),
the Commission has reiterated its awareness of the problems faced by the Egyptian Christian community
and in particular of the case of Malak Cuirguis Fahmay and his wife Sarah Mikhail Lhazy. They were
accused of having illegally altered her identity documents to reflect her change of faith. The Commission
understands that the Criminal Court of Northern Cairo will examine their case by the end of October
2003.

The Commission, together with the Member State Embassies in Cairo, have made representation to the
Egyptian Government on several occasions with respect to human rights issues involving the Egypt Coptic
community. The Honourable Member can be assured that the Commission will continue to follow their
case and to raise these issues with the Egyptian Authorities when and as appropriate.

(1) See page 65.
(2) OJ C 51 E, 26.2.2004, p. 257.

(2004/C 88 E/0126)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2889/03

by Samuli Pohjamo (ELDR)
and Mikko Pesälä (ELDR) to the Commission

(29 September 2003)

Subject: Need for a minimum import price for, and import duty on, Norwegian salmon and rainbow trout

In recent years, Norway’s production of salmon and rainbow trout has grown in an uncontrolled manner,
leading to substantial overproduction, viability problems and a wave of bankruptcies among Norwegian
fish farmers. It is cheaper to dump farmed salmon in the EU at prices equivalent to half of production
costs than to pay the waste disposal charges which would be levied for the destruction of the excess
product in Norway. There have also been repeated instances of Norwegian salmon escaping from pens,
endangering valuable natural salmon stocks in the River Teno, for example, which remains in a natural
state.

The EU is currently defenceless against the flood of imports, as the minimum import price which used to
apply to salmon has been abolished and a minimum price for rainbow trout is only at the planning stage.

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/119

It costs EUR 3,25 per kg to produce salmon in Norway. Recent import statistics show that the product is
being sold at a significantly lower price in Finland; at the end of July 2003, salmon was being imported
from Norway at a price of EUR 1,98 per kg and rainbow trout at EUR 2,70 per kg.

By the end of July 2003, 6,4 million kg of Norwegian salmon and 4,4 million kg of rainbow trout had
been imported into Finland. In the case of salmon, this represented an increase of 42 % over the previous
year, and in the case of rainbow trout, 144 %. In Finland, 15 million kg of rainbow trout is produced per
annum. A total of 1 million kg of salmon from the Baltic and the River Teno is fished in Finland per
annum.

The fact that the import price of salmon is substantially lower than its production cost is rapidly
destroying rainbow trout production in Finland. At the same time, imported salmon distorts price levels
for wild fish caught by Finnish fishermen and makes it harder to work as a professional fisherman.

Will the Commission take measures to reinstate the minimum import price for Norwegian salmon,
introduce a minimum import price for rainbow trout which is at least equal to production costs and
impose import duty on such fish in European Union territory?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(4 November 2003)

As the question of the Honourable Members concerns two different anti-dumping/anti-subsidy proceed-
ings, the Commission will reply separately for each proceeding.

Farmed Atlantic salmon:

(cid:1) As concerns farmed Atlantic salmon originating in Norway, although the anti-dumping and anti-
subsidy measures for this product were terminated in May 2003, the Commission has continued to
monitor the Community market closely and is aware that
the situation deteriorated following
termination. However, according to the most recent official statistics available, there are indications
that the Norwegian export prices of farmed Atlantic salmon to the Community have started to rise.
It nevertheless remains to be seen whether this upward trend will continue.

(cid:1) With regard to the issue of reinstating the minimum import prices for Norwegian salmon as suggested
by the Honourable Members, it should be noted that termination of the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy
measures means that there is no procedural framework in place for considering such action in the
very short term. However, an ‘understanding’ between World Trade Organisation (WTO) members
means that any new anti-dumping case can only be initiated one year after termination of previous
measures. Such a complaint would also have to be duly substantiated and show, ‘inter alia’ , that the
circumstances on which the decision to terminate the measures was based have changed and that
there is prima facie evidence of injurious dumping.

(cid:1) In addition, it should also be recalled that the Commission can take surveillance or safeguard action
within the framework of Council Regulation (EC) No 3285/94 of 22 December 1994 on the common
rules for imports (1), if imports of the product in question are (i) suddenly and significantly increasing
and (ii) are causing or threatening to cause serious injury to the Community producers concerned. The
Commission is aware of discussions taking place on this matter within certain Member States.

(cid:1) With regard to the separate issue of farmed Atlantic salmon escaping from pens into the wild, this
question falls outside the normal commercial aspects of anti-dumping proceedings. However, the
concerns expressed regarding the River Teno are known to the Commission. The Commission
facilitated a bilateral meeting between Finland and Norway on this issue two years ago. In addition,
the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO), to which both the Union and
Norway are parties, has adopted a number of resolutions dealing with this general area since 1994.
This includes,
, Guidelines on containment of farmed salmon, adopted in June 2001.
these
Norway reported to NASCO in March 2003 on its approach to the implementation of
resolutions stating that guidelines on containment are under development and would be subject to
consultations during 2003. The first phase of new rules establishing protected zones for Atlantic
salmon was also reported. The River Teno is one of 37 rivers where the salmon and its habitat is to be
given priority over any activity that may be harmful to them in the scheme adopted by the Norwegian
Parliament on 25 February 2003.

‘inter alia’

C 88 E/120

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Large Rainbow Trout:

(cid:1) As concerns large rainbow trout originating in Norway, the preliminary findings of the anti-dumping
investigation carried out by the Commission show that Norwegian exports to the Community have
been made at dumped, injurious price levels and that the Community Interest calls for action.

(cid:1) Accordingly, the Commission has already taken measures in this regard by imposing a provisional
anti-dumping duty of 21,4 % imposed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1628/2003 of 17 Sept-
ember 2003 imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of large rainbow trout originating
in Norway and the Faeroe Islands (2), which entered into force on 19 September 2003.

(cid:1) This case will be further investigated and the Honourable Members can be assured that should
injurious dumping be confirmed, and there are no compelling reasons against action, the Commission
will propose definitive measures to the Council. In such circumstances, following recent jurisprudence
of the European Court (3), definitive anti-dumping measures will have to be imposed.

(1) OJ L 349, 31.12.1994, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2474/2000 of 9 November 2000 establishing,
pursuant to Article 1(7) of Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93, the list of textiles and clothing products to be integrated
into GATT 1994 on 1 January 2002 and amending Annex X to Regulation (EEC) No 3030/93 and Annex II to
Regulation (EC) No 3285/94, OJ L 286, 11.11.2000.

(2) OJ L 232, 18.9.2003.
(3) Case C-76/01 P, Judgment of the Court dated 30 September 2003.

(2004/C 88 E/0127)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2919/03

by Marco Cappato (NI) and Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

Subject: Case of Italian citizen Maurizio Trotta, imprisoned in Romania

(2 October 2003)

On 2 August 2002, Mr Maurizio Trotta, an Italian citizen from Reggio Emiliano, was arrested in Romania
on charges of international drugs trafficking for possession of 11 grammes of hashish, found in his rented
apartment in Craiova.

Mr Maurizio, who has been held in Craiova prison since his arrest, was tried in a court of first instance and
sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, following the withdrawal of the charge of international trafficking,
which is punishable by up to 25 years’ imprisonment.

Having received a two-year sentence, and in the light of his good conduct, Mr Trotta ought to be released
in December 2003. However, following an appeal against the sentence of the court of first instance lodged
by the public prosecutor’s office, the case is to be re-tried, with the result that the outcome is highly
uncertain and Mr Trotta is still in prison.

In the meantime, Mr Trotta’s family has spent substantial sums on visiting Romania and on the fees of
Italian lawyer Mr Liborio Catagliotti and the succession of Romanian lawyers assigned to the case.

There is no knowing how long the case will last or what the eventual sentence will be and there have been
reports of substantial bribes being requested by those seeking to take advantage of the situation.

After making the necessary enquiries with the Romanian authorities, will the Commission say whether it
considers that the fundamental rights established under the EU treaties may have been infringed in this
case?

Will the Commission provide details of the response from the Romanian authorities and say what possible
steps might be taken?