do-me/EUR-LEX huggingface dataset:
2003/857/EC: Council Decision of 25 November 2003 amending Decision 97/510/EC authorising Ireland to apply a measure derogating from Article 21 of the Sixth Directive (77/388/EEC) on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to turnover taxes
Date: 2003-11-25
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Ireland, VAT, derogation from EU law, provision of services, tax exemption, tax harmonisation

L 324/36

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

11.12.2003

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DECISION

of 25 November 2003

amending Decision 97/510/EC authorising Ireland to apply a measure derogating from Article 21
of the Sixth Directive (77/388/EEC) on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States
relating to turnover taxes

(2003/857/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to the 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 (1), and in particular
Article 27(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

received by the Secretariat-General of

the
By letter
Ireland requested the
Commission on 4 July 2003,
extension of Decision 97/510/EC (2) authorising it
to
apply a measure derogating from Article 21 of the Sixth
Directive which enables it to combat tax evasion and tax
fraud in the real-estate sector until 31 December 2007.

The matters of law and of fact which justified the appli-
cation of the special measures in question have not
changed and still pertain.

(3)

(4)

The authorisation should therefore be extended until 31
December 2007.

The derogation in question has no impact on the Euro-
pean Communities' own resources from valued added
tax,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

In Article 1 of Decision 97/510/EC, ‘31 December 2003’ shall
be replaced by ‘31 December 2007’.

This Decision is addressed to Ireland.

Article 2

Done at Brussels, 25 November 2003.

For the Council

The President

G. TREMONTI

(1) OJ L 145, 13.6.1977, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Directive

2003/92/EC (OJ L 260, 11.10.2003, p. 8).

(2) OJ L 214, 6.8.1997, p. 37. Decision amended by Decision 2000/

435/EC (OJ L 172, 12.7.2000, p. 24).
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3518/03 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission. Bioptic driving.
Date: 2003-11-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European standard, driving licence, optical industry, technical standard, traffic regulations, vehicle parts

C 78 E/822

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

development of new water policies through the Expert Advisory Fora which were established in 2001.
In this respect, the Expert Advisory Forum on Groundwater successfully finalised its work in June 2003
and enabled the Commission to present its proposal on 19 September 2003 (1).

Six meetings of the Expert Advisory Forum on Priority Substances have already taken place from March
2001 to November 2003. The preparatory work is still ongoing and the next meeting is scheduled for
8 March 2004.

(1) COM(2003) 550 final.

(2004/C 78 E/0875)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3518/03

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(25 November 2003)

Subject: Bioptic driving

1. Will the Commission outline the minimum vision standards (including acuity and vision fields) for
driving licensure stipulated by EU regulation?

2. Will it also outline the specific vision standards (that go beyond the EU minimum) for each Member
State?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(15 January 2004)

1.
The minimal vision requirements for obtaining a driving licence can be found in Article 6 of
Annex III of Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991 (1). The Commission does not anticipate
proposing any revisions to this Directive on the question of minimum vision standards.

All Member States have introduced visual

2.
requirements that correspond with the minimum
requirements of the above mentioned Directive. As the Honourable Member has been informed of in the
Commission’s reply to his previous questions E-1231/03 (2), E-2568/03 (3) and E-2569/03 (4), a special
working group for vision has been established in 2003 which plans to screen the legislation/actual
situation in the different Member States during the coming year 2004. The results of this examination will
be made public by the Commission as soon as they are available.

(1) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.
(2) OJ C 58 E, 6.3.2004, p. 52.
(3) OJ C 58 E, 6.3.2004, p. 181.
(4) See page 129.

(2004/C 78 E/0876)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3541/03

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(28 November 2003)

Subject: US ‘ghost ships’ moored in the UK

Under its responsibilities for the application of environmental and transport legislation, what is the
position of the Commission on the risks posed by the four ships from the US Reserve Fleet, known as the
ghost fleet, which are now moored at and in transit to Hartlepool?