WRITTEN QUESTION E-0003/00 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Excise duties on wine in Ireland.
C 330 E/66 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 Directive 96/92/EC obliges transmission system operators (TSOs) either to publish the tariffs for 3. access to the network, where regulated third party access exists, or to publish indicative tariffs for the use of the network in the case of negotiated third party access. 4. The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member and insists on fees being non-discriminatory. Under Article 7,5 of the Directive TSOs may not discriminate between users of the network, particularly in favour of their shareholders or subsidiaries. The Commission agrees and has pointed out this risk of abuse of dominant position on the part of 5. the incumbent German electricity utilities in the letters that have been sent. 6. As mentioned under 1) the Commission has outlined its doubts as to the conformity of some aspects of the Verbaendevereinbarung with the Electricity Directive, and its doubts as to compatibility with the competition rules of the EC Treaty. It is clear the VV must guarantee a free and transparent market access to all players. (2000/C 330 E/072) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0003/00 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission (19 January 2000) Subject: Excise duties on wine in Ireland With reference to the answers given by Nino Gemelli, chairman of the Committee on Petitions, and by the Commission on the subject of Petition No 1229/97 submitted by Mr Paris Cugini, an Italian citizen, on excise duties on wine in Ireland, can the Commission say: 1. whether it has questioned the Irish authorities; 2. whether there have been any new developments? Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission (15 February 2000) In response to Petition No 1229/97 submitted by Mr Paris Cugini, raising the possibility that Irish excise duties discriminate against wine and in favour of beer, the Commission contacted the Irish authorities to request clarification of this matter. Subsequently, in the context of infringement proceedings as defined in article 226 (formerly article 169) of the EC Treaty, the Commission sent a reasoned opinion to the Irish government on 25 August 1999. In October 1999, the Irish government replied to the Commissionís reasoned opinion. This reply is presently being studied by the Commission, and its contents are confidential, as infringement procedures against a Member State require. (2000/C 330 E/073) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0008/00 by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission (13 January 2000) Subject: CITES-negotiations 2000 The next Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) will take place in Nairobi in April 2000. 1. A topic that will most likely be discussed at the COP 10 of CITES concerns elephant poaching related to trade in ivory in Asian and African countries. Contradictory information on this issue exists, and