WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1067/98 by David HALLAM to the Commission. Import quota threat on exports of carpets to Russia
22. 12. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 402/67 Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (12 May 1998) New basic safety standards for the health protection of the general public and workers against the dangers of ionizing radiation have been laid down in Directive 96/29/Euratom (1) and are due to be implemented in national legislation by May 2000. With effect from this date earlier directives, in particular Council Directive 80/836/Euratom of 15 July 1980 amending the directives laying down the basic safety standards for the health protection of the general public and workers against the dangers of ionizing radiation (2) and Council Directive 84/467/Euratom of 3 September 1984 amending Directive 80/836/Euratom as regards the basic safety standards for the health protection of the general public and workers against the dangers of ionizing radiation (3) shall be repealed. The new Directive considerably strengthens the requirements for reporting and prior authorization of practices, in particular with regard to the disposal, recycling or reuse of materials containing radioactive substances arising from any practice subject to these requirements. The draft proposal for a revision of the basic safety standards put forward by the Commission (4) was essentially based on the opinion given by the group of experts appointed by the Commissionís scientific and technical committee from among scientific experts under the terms of Article 31 of the Euratom Treaty. Subsequent proposals took account of the opinions given by the Economic and social committee on 25 February 1993 and by the Parliament on 20 April 1994, the final text being adopted by Council on 13 May 1996 (5). (1) OJ L 159, 29. 6. 1996. (2) OJ L 246, 17. 9. 1980. (3) OJ L 265, 5. 10. 1984. (4) SEC(92) 1322 final. (5) OJ L 159, 29. 6. 1996. (98/C 402/082) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1067/98 by David Hallam (PSE) to the Commission (6 April 1998) Subject: Import quota threat on exports of carpets to Russia Is the Commission aware of fears that the Russian Federation may impose import quotas on carpets from the European Union? If so, when are these quotas likely to be imposed and what is their expected size? Is the Commission aware that such an import quota would have a detrimental effect even for those manufacturers not presently exporting to Russia? Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (19 May 1998) The Commission is indeed aware that the Russian Federation had imposed a unilateral import quota on carpets from the Community, as the Honourable Member notes. As a result of the Commissionís efforts to solve this potentially damaging situation for Community exporters, a textiles agreement was reached on 28 March 1998, under which Russia withdrew with effect from 1 May 1998 its unilateral quota on carpets and undertook to make commercially meaningful initiatives on easing of certification requirements for textile imports from the Community. The Community has also removed its quotas on Russian textile exports with effet from 1 May 1998