WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2048/98 by Jean-Claude PASTY to the Commission. Tax harmonization in the EU Member States
C 13/140 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 18. 1. 1999 To that end, the Commission keeps a close watch on the situation of the countryís journalists. As for the two journalists specifically mentioned by the Honourable Member, both have almost fully resumed their professional activities. Their physical protection is outside the Commissionís sphere of competence. The Commission will continue conveying to its Turkish partners the Communityís concerns in such matters, and in particular those raised by the Honourable Member. (1999/C 13/197) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2032/98 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE) to the Commission Subject: US tariff on tinned tuna in oil (7 July 1998) In its answer to Written Question E-1201/98 (1), the Commission points out that áit cannot be excluded that the higher rate of duty applied for canned tuna in oil in the United States makes the Community a more attractive market for third countries given its lower dutyí. Likewise, it states that áas the United States is respecting its obligations under the GATT World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding its tariff bindings, the Community has no basis under the WTO to contest this tariffí and ends by asserting that áhowever, it will be possible to pursue this issue in the context of the next multilateral tariff negotiationí. Can the Commission say when the next multilateral tariff negotiation will take place? Will the Commission take that opportunity to raise the problem posed by the higher tariff applied for tinned tuna in oil in the United States, given that the Community duty is lower? (1) OJ C 354, 19. 11. 1998, p. 77. Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission (4 August 1998) The Community is in favour of a new round of multilateral trade negotiations. However, the setting up of such a round, which the Community would wish to see include negotiations on tariff reductions, can only be decided by the contracting parties to the World trade organisation (WTO). It is the Commissionís hope that this will be done at the 1999 WTO ministerial meeting. Once such negotiations are agreed, and provided that negotiations on tariff reductions are included, the issue raised by the Honourable Member could be included. (1999/C 13/198) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2048/98 by Jean-Claude Pasty (UPE) to the Commission (7 July 1998) Subject: Tax harmonization in the EU Member States Will the Commission state whether a branch office situated in France, legally defined as a non-permanent establishment and declared, recognized and taxed as such by the French tax authorities (limited to a professional tax amounting to what is in effect a token payment of approx. FF 150 per annum), can legally be considered as a fixed base within the meaning of Article 15 of the Franco-Luxembourg tax convention of 1 April 1958?