WRITTEN QUESTION P-0953/00 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Supply of tuna loins to the European fish-canning industry.
C 26 E/134 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 26. 1. 2001 (2001/C 26 E/166) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0953/00 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission Subject: Supply of tuna loins to the European fish-canning industry (22 March 2000) At the Fisheries Council meeting of 30 March 1999 the Commission undertook to initiate a study reviewing the supply of tuna loins to the Community market, which was published at the beginning of this year under the title Tuna Loins Supply and Demand Study ü Evaluation of the Supply of Tuna Loins to the Community Market in the Short and Medium Termí. The study concluded that in order to help the Italian industry carry out its restructuring without prejudicing the other European Union countries, a quota of between 1 000 and 2 000 tonnes could be opened for third countries. How could the Commission therefore propose, on 21 February 4000 tonnes at a customs duty of 6 % for the year 2000, if, as stated in the study, this will jeopardise the vast majority of fish-canning industries in the European Union? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (27 April 2000) The Honourable Member refers to the study carried out by the Commission on supply of tuna loins to the Community market. As mentioned in the reply to his Written Questions E-0756/00 to E-0761/00 (1), considers this study to show a limited deficit of a seasonal nature for this product. the Commission Its proposal for the year 2000 was certainly for a higher quantity than advocated by the study, but at 6 % duty whereas the study advocated nil. That quantity and duty level are moreover in line with the political agreement signed by the Council and the Commission on 17 December 1999. The Council confirmed this line of action by unanimously adopting the Commissionís proposal. (1) See page 104. (2001/C 26 E/167) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0959/00 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission (29 March 2000) Subject: Municipal hotel tax The practice is on the increase of levying a tax on hotel guests, on the grounds that such guests use municipally-owned áfacilities of general interestí, for whose upkeep all the inhabitants of a given urban community have to pay. Visitors to a city which operates such a tax are thus asked to pay a surcharge on their hotel bill corresponding to their use of the municipally-owned facilities of which they have availed themselves while staying in a hotel in that city. In view of the significant consequences which will arise if this tax comes to be levied customarily by local authorities throughout the Union, can the Commission state its position concerning this practice and whether it believes this tourist tax could become an indirect source of resources through VAT?