WRITTEN QUESTION No. 542/99 by Daniel VARELA SUANZES- CARPEGNA Fish product canning industry and aquaculture in the European Union
3. 12. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 348/95 between the latter and the Commission to ensure the correct application of the law on customs and agricultural matters (1). One of the principal tasks of the specialised investigators within this unit is therefore to ensure the correct application of the rules of origin. The Commission adopted on 17 March 1999 (2) a package of proposals to strengthen its antifraud service (Commission Decision establishing a fraud office, proposal for amended Council regulation concerning investigations conducted by the fraud office and draft inter-institutional agreement). These proposals will give an opportunity to the Commission to reinforce its antifraud activities, including the control of the correct application of the rules of origin. (1) OJ L 82, 22. 3. 1997. (2) COM(99) 140 final. (1999/C 348/118) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0542/99 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE) to the Commission (12 March 1999) Subject: Fish product canning industry and aquaculture in the European Union At its June 1998 part-session the European Parliament debated and adopted the own-initiative report on the fish product canning industry and aquaculture in the European Union (A4-0137/98) (1), in the conclusions to which, inter alia, it declared ‘the tuna canning industry is the most important Community canning sector in terms of employment and the volume of trade, and that to encourage the huge growth prospects in this sector there is a need (. ) to carry out rigourous checks on the origin of products and the quality and technical and health conditions of imported products so as to prevent consumer fraud and unfair competition for the Community industry’. Can the Commission say what measures have been adopted to comply with Parliament’s request and thereby encourage the growth prospects in the Community tuna canning industry? (1) OJ C 210, 6. 7. 1993, p. 295. Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (14 April 1999) The Commission can reassure the Honourable Member that the Community legislation is in place to carry out rigorous checks on imported fishery products. Under Council Directive 91/493/EEC of 22 July 1991 laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on the market of fishery products (1) provisions applied to imports of fishery products from third countries shall be at least equivalent to those governing the production and placing on the market of Community products (Article 10). Imports of fishery products are only allowed from third countries fufilling the conditions of Directive 91/493/ EEC and Commission Decision 97/296/EC of 22 April 1997 drawing up the list of third countries from which the import of fishery products is authorized for human consumption (2) as last amended by Decision 99/136/ EC (3). Finally there is Council Directive 90/675/EEC of 10 December 1990 laying down the principles governing the organization of veterinary checks on products entering the Community from third countries (4) which is replaced from 30 June 1999 by Council Directive 97/78/EC of 18 December 1997 (5). (1) OJ L 268, 24. 9. 1991. (2) OJ L 122, 14. 5. 1997. (3) OJ L 44, 18. 2. 1999. (4) OJ L 373, 31. 12. 1990. (5) OJ L 24, 30. 1. 1998