WRITTEN QUESTION E-0616/04 by Klaus Hänsch (PSE) to the Commission. Allocation of EU resources.
Date: 2004-03-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, North Rhine-Westphalia, research body, university

C 88 E/516

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(15 April 2004)

From the first day of accession, the customs administration of the new Member States acceding to the
Union will have to manage and control their borders, which will then be the external borders of the EU, in
the interest of the EU population and trade operators.

Two transitional periods have been granted in the Customs Union Chapter. Both concern the application
of the Common External Tariff after accession.

Malta has been granted a five-year transitional period for the import of woven fabrics of combed wool or
of combed fine animal hair (CN Code 5112 11 10), denim (CN Code 5209 42 00), woven fabrics of artificial
filament yarn (CN Code 5408 22 10) and other made up clothing accessories (CN Code 6217 10 00), with a
progressive schedule of implementation involving a maximum annual import quota and an increasing ad
valorem duty.

Hungary has been granted a three-year transitional period for the import of aluminium, not alloyed
(CN Code 7601 10 00), with a progressive schedule of implementation involving a decreasing import
quota and an increasing ad valorem duty.

No transitional period has been granted on the remaining part of the customs ‘acquis’, which includes the
Community’s Customs Code and its implementing provisions; the Combined Nomenclature and other
customs-related legislation outside the scope of the customs code, such as, for example, the legislation on
counterfeit and pirated goods, drug precursors and export of cultural goods. However, annex IV-5 of the
Act of Accession contains some specific technical provisions to cope with the situations that result from
the transition between 11 separate customs territories (EU15 + 10) and one enlarged customs territory
(EU25), when goods may, for example, enter a procedure in one and leave it under the other, purely as a
result of enlargement. The Annex also deals with the validity of authorisations. Some special provisions
apply to the Sovereign Base Areas of the United Kingdom in Cyprus, and are contained in Protocol 3
annexed to the Treaty of Accession.

The result of negotiations implies that the new Member States will be integrated in the Community
customs territory and will fully apply all customs procedures as currently applied by Member States. Trade
with and among new Member States will be considered as intra-Community transactions, and will not be
subject to customs formalities or control, as is already the case in the Single Market. Goods which are in
free circulation in a new or an existing Member State at the moment of accession will be in free circulation
throughout the enlarged Union. This will have a twofold impact on the activities of the customs clearance
agents: on the one hand, the formalities and procedures will be the same in all 25 Member States, and on
the other hand, their services will not be needed for the new intra-Community trade.

An information document on the transitional customs measures of the Act of Accession as described
above is available to the public on the Directorate-General Taxation and Customs Union web site in
Europa (http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/customs/customs.htm).

(2004/C 88 E/0528)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0616/04

by Klaus Hänsch (PSE) to the Commission

(1 March 2004)

Subject: Allocation of EU resources

As regards the allocation of EU resources to the district (Kreis) of Mettmann and the cities of Duisburg,
Düsseldorf, Neuss, Remscheid, Solingen and Wuppertal (in North Rhine-Westphalia), will the Commission
give:

1. The total amount and breakdown of EU structural resources received under the individual funds and

the various Community programmes and initiatives?

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/517

2. The amount of EU resources allocated since 1999 under other budgetary headings for pilot projects or
(cid:1) as direct aid (cid:1) to universities, research establishments, enterprises and other bodies in the above-
mentioned cities and the district of Mettmann?

3. The number of jobs created or maintained by means of this assistance?

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(15 June 2004)

In view of the length of its answer, the Commission is sending it direct to the Honourable Member and to
Parliament’s Secretariat.

(2004/C 88 E/0529)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0620/04

by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 March 2004)

Subject: Export of military ammunition to African countries as hunting ammunition

Various prestigious NGO’s (Oxfam, Amnesty International, Greenpeace) and the Autonomous University of
Barcelona’s Peace Culture School have claimed that Spain has been exporting military ammunition, as if it
were hunting ammunition, to the following African countries: Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Central African
Republic, Mauritania, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Angola, Burkina Fasso and Cameroon.

Apparently the Customs Registers of the Spanish Tax Agency show that the cartridges exported weighed
on average 40 kg, and cost an average of EUR 120 each.

Given that it is difficult to believe that hunting ammunition of such dimensions exists, and that these
exports of munitions brought in over EUR 4 million in 2002, is the Commission aware of these Spanish
exports?

If the Commission is aware of the claims, has it taken or does it intend to take any steps?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(15 April 2004)

The Commission is not aware of the exports in question nor does it possess the authority or the means to
confirm or deny any possible misrepresentation of the stated end use of such exports.

Full responsibility for the licensing of arms exports rests with national governments. Consequently, it is not
for the Commission to comment on Member States’ practices in this area.