WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2778/97 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. Unification of the economic professions
16. 4. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 117/65 However, because of the boardings which have taken place recently, the Commission has requested a meeting of the Joint Committee under the Fisheries Agreement to look at ways of improving the procedures as regards boarding in order to ensure the greatest possible transparency and maximum information. (98/C 117/80) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2777/97 by Raimo Ilaskivi (PPE) to the Commission (1 September 1997) Subject: Report on the economic consequences of the ending of tax-free sales In 1991 Parliament called on the Commission to report on the economic consequences that might ensue when tax-free sales were abolished. The Unionís Ministers of Transport made a request to the same effect in July of this year. Appearing before the Committee on Economic Affairs on 7 July 1997, a Commission representative said that there was no need for a report. According to my information, a report has been requested in several written questions to the Commission. I also find the matter disquieting as far as parliamentary prerogatives are concerned. Does the Commission consider the wishes of Parliament and the Member Statesí Ministers of Transport to be of no account, given that the report has not been drawn up and the reason for this inactivity has not been revealed? If the foregoing assumption is incorrect, when will the Commission produce the report that it was asked to submit in 1991? Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (22 October 1997) The Commission has already stated its position on the request for a report on the economic consequences of the ending of tax-free sales within the Community (1). When, in 1991, the Council decided to maintain tax-free sales on a temporary basis in support of certain operations, the intention was that the sectors concerned should adapt to a new situation over a period of more than seven years, thereby taking into account the specific nature of each sector. While the parties who benefited from this transitional period are now seeking a further period of exemption, the arguments they use are in fact no different from those put forward in 1991. The Council took those arguments into account in 1991, and there is no reason to reassess their importance or to re-open the debate on special arrangements which, as decided, are due to come to an end. The Council confirmed its position on this matter at the Ecofin Council meeting on 11 November 1996; in particular, it rejected the need for a report of this kind. The Transport Council which met in July 1997 left the matter to be decided by the Ecofin Council. (1) See, for example, the answers to parliamentary questions H-552/97 and H-21/97 by MrAndersson (Debates of the European Parliament › July and February 1997), H-409 by Mrs Banotti (Debates of the European Parliament › June 1997), E-1089/97 by Mr Mather (OJ C 367, 4. 12. 1997, p. 77), E-4116/96 by Mr Kaklamanis (OJ C 217, 17. 7. 1997, p. 66) and H-908/97 by Mrs Scho¤rling (Debates of the European Parliament › December 1997). (98/C 117/81) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2778/97 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (1 September 1997) Subject: Unification of the economic professions Following a detailed study in the countries of the European Union it has been ascertained that Italy is the only country which has not yet created a unified professional body consisting of chartered accountants and business consultants, of whom there are nearly 100 000 in Italy at present. Until this happens, can the Commission try to persuade the Italian Government to undertake a legislative initiative to unify the economic professions?