WRITTEN QUESTION E-0120/00 by Ioannis Souladakis (PSE) to the Council. Breach of the EU-South African Trade Agreement.
C 303 E/144 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 24. 10. 2000 (2000/C 303 E/156) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0120/00 by Ioannis Souladakis (PSE) to the Council (31 January 2000) Subject: Breach of the EU-South African Trade Agreement South Africaís insistence on using the protected designations áouzoí and ágrappaí on its spirits products, although they belong to the protected drinks of Greece and Italy respectively, casts doubt on the free trade agreement recently signed between the EU and South Africa. South Africaís conduct in this respect is causing problems in attempts at rapprochement between the two sides, especially following the abolition of apartheid and the end of the countryís decades-long international isolation. It is advisable to avoid the infringement of EU agreements with third countries at the expense of the specific interests of producer groups in Member States before the relevant agreements are concluded. Since there are many similar agreements with third countries, the responsible EU bodies should in each case take the preventive measures necessary to avoid the risk of large numbers of protected products being counterfeited. Does the Council take the safeguarding of protected designations for EU products into account during the conclusion of free trade agreements and what measures is it taking in this particular case to protect ouzo and grappa producers from the counterfeiting of these designations in South Africa? Reply (13 April 2000) The Council of the European Union is fully aware of the need to protect the interests of EU producers of traditional products when negotiating international agreements and, for wines and spirits, strives to ensure that traditional EU names are protected. 1. It should be pointed out that the Agreement on Trade, Development and Cooperation concluded between South Africa and the EU in October 1999 provides for the protection of intellectual property, including ágeographical indications, in particular designations of origin, trademarks and service marksí, thus preventing the marketing within the European Union of any product called áouzoí or ágrappaí unless it has been produced in the EU. 2. The General Affairs Council of 14 February 2000 examined this matter carefully and reached a position with a view to clarifying the scope of the protection afforded to certain alcoholic beverages. In an exchange of notes between the President of the European Commission and the President of the Council of the European Union for the one part and the President of South Africa for the other, dated 15 and 16 February 2000 respectively, it was agreed that, with regard to wines and spirits, and in order to protect Jagerteeí and Pacharaní names or specific expressions, the terms Grappaí, would, after a transitional period of five years, cease to be used for any spirit produced in South Africa and that the only products authorised for sale under these names on the South African market would be those originating in the European Union. Kornbrandí, Ouzoí, Korní, The Council and the Commission pointed out that the use of the traditional names Grappaí and 3. Ouzoí already enjoyed full protection under Community law. Any use of these names is reserved exclusively for products originating in Italy and Greece respectively. The Community customs authorities may accordingly prohibit the entry on the EU market of any product from a third country that is offered for sale under these names or labelled as such. 24. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 303 E/145 The Council would also point out to the Honourable Member that the Parties agreed in the 4. aforementioned exchange of notes to resume the official negotiations on the Wines and Spirits Agreement in March 2000 with a view to concluding them before 1 June 2000 and enabling the said Agreement to enter into force on 1 September 2000. (2000/C 303 E/157) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0128/00 by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Commission (27 January 2000) Subject: Bank charges in Italy Various European banks are suspected of having cartel agreements to maintain high commission charges on foreign exchange transactions following the introduction of the euro. On the basis of the investigations already begun, and those currently in progress, will the Commission: 1. 2. indicate which Italian banks have already been investigated, and with what results; state what measures it intends to take to put an end to such practices, which have been condemned many times by consumersí associations but have always been denied by the banks. Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (2 March 2000) The Commission has begun investigations into the bank charges on foreign exchange transactions in the Member States participating in the euro, following various complaints from consumersí associations and others. The Commission has conducted on-the-spot checks on two Italian banks. These checks were made 1. with the assistance of the national authority responsible for competition matters. This authority, the Bank of Italy, has adopted two decisions on bank charges. The first was adopted on 25 November 1999 and related to a recommendation by the Associazione Bancaria Italiana (Association of Italian Banks) that its members introduce a new schedule of bank charges following the introduction of the euro on 1 January 1999; this recommendation was deemed a restrictive practice incompatible with the rules on competition. The second decision, which was adopted on 18 January 2000, was directed at a group of banks known as the Friends of the Bankí and dealt partly with bank charges on cross-border payments. The Bank of Italy concluded that there had been collusion in the fixing of these charges and that this constituted a restrictive practice; it consequently decided to impose fines on the banks concerned. The Commissionís investigations are still in progress. Any measures it takes will depend on what 2. proof can be found as to the existence of restrictive practices. (2000/C 303 E/158) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0129/00 by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) and Bartho Pronk (PPE-DE) to the Commission Subject: Single programming document 2000-2006 (27 January 2000) On 19 October 1999 the Dutch Minister for Social Affairs and Employment forwarded to the Commission the single programming document (SPD) for ESF (Objective 3) measures for the period 2000 to 2006