WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1829/97 by Alfonso NOVO BELENGUER to the Commission. Rice imports - cumulative recovery system
C 60/48 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 2. 98 Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (18 June 1997) The Spanish veterinary authorities confirmed on 17 April 1997 two outbreaks of classical swine fever in the province of Lerida. The infected pigholdings were depopulated and disease control measures were introduced within the framework of the provisions of Council Directive 80/217/EC introducing Community measures for the control of classical swine fever. In spite of these measures the disease had on 23 April been confirmed on a total of 10 pigholdings. With the objective to confine the disease to a limited geographical area the Commission adopted on 30 April 1997 Decision 97/285/EC concerning certain protection measures relating to classical swine fever in Spain. This bans the movement of live pigs from a region consisting of 5 comarcas (communes) to other Member States. The ban does not refer to pigmeat or pigmeat products. The Commission has not been informed about a Portuguese unilateral ban on import of pigmeat products from Catalonia, but an investigation has been initiated. (98/C 60/76) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1828/97 by Alfonso Novo Belenguer (ARE) to the Commission (28 May 1997) Subject: Rice imports › cumulative recovery system By Council Decision 95/591/EC (1) the European Union concluded an agreement in the form of an exchange of letters with the United States of America on cereals and rice. Under that agreement, a cumulative recovery system (CRS) was introduced for husked rice on a trial basis for a one-year period. Commission Regulation (EC) No 703/97 (2) introducing the cumulative recovery system has recently been published. Bearing in mind that the application of the CRS will involve taking account of each import, each consignment and each invoice, that the price on which calculations are to be based will be that on each invoice and that systematic fraud in the handling of invoices might be expected, how will the Commission be able to detect fraudulent acts on the basis of invoices? What measures will the Commission apply in order to prevent possible abuse and fraudulent acts? (1) OJ L 334, 30. 12. 1995, p. 25. (2) OJ L 104, 22. 4. 1997, p. 12. Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (27 June 1997) The cumulative recovery system (CRS) for husked rice established by Regulation (EC) No 703/97 includes provision, at the end of the trial period, for an assessment of the operation of the import arrangements based on reference import prices. To achieve this objective and to ensure that the system applied is reliable, effective and fraudproof, the CRS includes a number of specific features of organization, procedure and checking and provides the national authorities with adequate powers of assessment. (98/C 60/77) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1829/97 by Alfonso Novo Belenguer (ARE) to the Commission (28 May 1997) Subject: Rice imports › cumulative recovery system By Council Decision 95/591/EEC (1) the European Union concluded an agreement in the form of an exchange of letters with the United States of America on cereals and rice. Under the agreement, a cumulative recovery system (CRS) was introduced for husked rice on a trial basis for a one-year period. The Commission Regulation (EC) No 703/97 (2) introducing the cumulative recovery system has recently been published