Parliamentary questions
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2638/03
by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission
(25 August 2003)

Subject: Refunds on exports from Member States to the Vatican City State of butter and other fats and oils derived from milk, milk products (code 0405) for 2001

In response to questions E-1477/03 and E-1480/03(1) relating to refunds on exports of agricultural products from Member States to the Vatican City State (VCS), Commissioner Fischler stated on 21 May 2003 that the Commission was collecting the information it needed to answer the question and would communicate its findings as soon as possible.

The following supplementary data can be supplied in relation to the export of butter and other fats and oils derived from milk, milk products (code 0405):

a) the European Commission's CATS (Clearance Audit Trail System) database shows that in 2001:

- 125 200 kg were exported from Austria to the VCS with a refund of EUR 211 760,72, equivalent to aid of EUR 1,69/kg;

- 21 000 kg were exported from Germany to the VCS with a refund of EUR 35 700, equivalent to aid of EUR 1,70/kg;

b) the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) database shows that in 2001:

- 123 400 kg were exported from Austria and 21 200 kg from Germany to the VCS,

This indicates that:

- unwarranted aid of EUR 3 044,48 was paid on an additional 1 800 kg not shown in the OECD data;

- no application was made for aid of EUR 340 for the export of 200 kg on which Community aid could have been paid.

Could the Commission state the technical reasons for the foregoing of this Community aid?

Does it not agree that the increasingly patent omissions and the discrepancies between the data from the different institutional sources seriously affect the credibility of these institutions and might be due to possible fraud against Community funds, or is it already able to discount this possibility of fraud?

(1) OJ C

Da E-2631/03IT a E-2642/03IT
Risposta data dal signor Fischler
a nome della Commissione
(28 ottobre 2003)

I dati ricevuti dall’onorevole parlamentare provengono da varie fonti, sono stati raccolti in un determinato contesto e per determinati fini e hanno quindi un significato specifico, così come spiegato all’onorevole parlamentare nella risposta congiunta della Commissione alle interrogazioni scritte da E-1477/03 a E-1480/03 e nella risposta all’interrogazione scritta E-2586/03 .

Come precisato nelle citate risposte, le due banche dati sono concettualmente differenti e quindi non si può trarre alcuna conclusione circa eventuali discrepanze.