WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1723/97 by Patricia McKENNA to the Commission. Ireland's contributions to Euratom
C 45/88 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10. 2. 98 (98/C 45/107) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1723/97 by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission (7 May 1997) Subject: Irelandís contributions to Euratom Can the Commission give details of Irelandís annual contributions to Euratom over the past five years? What percentage of Euratomís annual budget do Irish contributions account for? Can the Commission give a breakdown of how much Euratom spent in 1996 on each of the following areas: nuclear safety/radiation protection, research and development, administration, staff? Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (6 June 1997) Since 1970 the Euratom budget has been completely merged with the Community budget. There is therefore no separate budget for Euratom and hence no Irish contribution to the Euratom budget as such. Ireland’s percentage contribution to the general budget therefore gives a good idea of its contribution to the activities of the budget connected with the Euratom treaty. In 1996, Ireland contributed 0. 96% to the financing of the general budget. Commitments for nuclear-related programmes as shown in the revenue and expenditure account of the general budget for 1996 (1) were as follows: - B4-20 › Euratom nuclear safeguards: ECU 19 million; - B4-1020 › Transport of radioactive material in the European Union (EC/ECSC): ECU 2 million; - B4-307 › Nuclear safety and radiation protection: ECU 2. 9 million; - B6-1 and B6-3: Nuclear research carried out by the Joint Research Centre: ECU 74 million; - B6-8: Nuclear research › Indirect action by the EAEC programme: ECU 267 million. (1) SEC(97) 399. (98/C 45/108) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1725/97 by Ulla Sandbæk (I-EDN) to the Commission (23 May 1997) Subject: European Union beef dumping in South Africa Between 1993 and 1995 the volume of beef exported to South Africa from the EU increased from 7 200 tonnes to 53 300 tonnes. For each kilo of frozen beef exported the European taxpayer is charged about ECU 1. 20 (until January 97 ECU 1. 60), so it can be landed in South Africa at ECU 0. 52 (frozen boneless beef), which is 51% below the domestic wholesale price in South Africa (1996 average). Beef production in South Africa fell by one third between 1993 and 1996 and farmers are estimated to have lost up to 40% of their incomes from livestock sold between the first half of 1995 and 1996. Neighbouring African countries, like Namibia, which traditionally supply South Africa with beef, are also affected. In March 1997 two resolutions were adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on the subject (ACP-EU 2091/97 and 2135/97). Both called on the Commission and the Council to end export refunds for beef exports to South Africa and Lesotho, on the grounds that these countries are in fact members of the SACU (Southern African Customs Union), which is a net exporter of beef. On what grounds does the Commission classify South Africa as a net importer of beef, when it is a member 1. of a de facto free trade area, SACU, which, taken as a whole, is exporting beef?