WRITTEN QUESTION E-1331/02

by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) to the Council

(8 May 2002)

Subject: Fish exports to Poland

The fishing industry in the UK, and in particular in the Shetland Islands, is currently being denied a level of access to the Polish market for their fish products equal to that of their Norwegian counterparts. Import tariffs on imports of British fish remain in place, while Norway receives favourable access under a bilateral agreement with Poland.

On behalf of the Community, the Commission recently approved an additional protocol to the EU/Poland Europe Agreement phasing out import tariffs on fish products. Will the Council outline the agreed measures and confirm the date on which they will definitively enter into force?

Reply

(11 November 2002)

The Honourable Member is referring to the Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement with Poland, which, on 17 December 2001, the Council decided to conclude acting on a proposal from the Commission, further to negotiations which the latter had conducted with Poland (and with the other associated countries) with a view to the liberalisation of trade in fish and fishery products. As a result of this Agreement, the duties applied by both Parties to the Agreement for imports of these products shall be reduced by a third when the Protocol enters into force, and by a further third one year later, to attain full liberalisation two years after the entry into force of the Protocol (or earlier if commonly agreed).

The Protocol was signed with Poland on 14 June 2002, and on 18 June 2002 the Parties notified each other of the completion of their respective internal procedures. Consequently, pursuant to Article 6 of the Protocol, the date of entry into force is 1 July 2002.