91997E0274

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0274/97 by Carmen Fraga Estévez (PPE) to the Commission (13 February 1997)

Subject: EU imports of canned tuna from south-east Asia

EU imports of canned tuna from south-east Asia are increasing at an alarming rate and jeopardizing the development of the Community production sector. Can the Commission guarantee that these imports comply with the minimum quality and tuna content requirements and correspond to the correct tariff headings?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (26 March 1997)

Thailand is by far the largest exporter of canned tuna to the Community. These exports are broken down as follows for the years 1992 to 1995:

>TABLE>

(*) Metric tonnes.

The exports to the Community from the other countries in the region (Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore) are marginal, accounting for only 398 tonnes in 1995.

The Honourable Member can see that imports of canned tuna from South East Asia have fallen in the period 1992-95.

As regards the imports from two important neighbouring countries, the Philippines and Indonesia, their aggregate total for loins of tuna and canned tuna is:

>TABLE>

The Honourable Member will note that there is no 'alarming' increase of imports in the period in question, and the available figures for 1996 do not lead one to conclude that this trend will reverse.

Council Regulation (EEC) No 1536/92 of 9 June 1992 ((OJ L 163, 17. 6.1992. )) lays down common marketing standards for preserved tuna and bonito. The standards include provisions on trade descriptions appropriate to each commercial presentation and on the quantity of fish contained in a preparation with a view to keeping products that are of unsatisfactory commercial quality off the market and to facilitating trade relations based on fair competition.

The information available to the Commission indicates that the checks for which the Member States are responsible, and which are usually carried out by sampling, have not detected any fraud based on quality standards or the minimum tuna content.

The importer introducing the goods into the customs territory of the Community must make a declaration to the customs authorities of the relevant Member State that is sufficiently detailed to identify the goods. The customs authorities check that the customs headings used are the right ones and correspond to the goods declared and presented to them.

From 1 January 1995, with the entry into force of Council Regulation (EC) No 3282/94 of 19 December 1994 extending into 1995 the application of Regulations (EEC) No 3833/90, (EEC) No 3835/90 and (EEC) No 3900/91 applying generalized tariff preferences in respect of certain agricultural products originating in developing countries ((OJ L 348, 31.12.1994. )), cans of bonito (Sarda spp) have been excluded from the generalized system of preferences. The exclusion was decided upon as a result of the discovery of significant fraudulent imports of canned tuna (a product not covered by the generalized system of preferences) from certain beneficiary third countries which had been declared as canned bonito.