Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-04-07-Speech-4-076-000"
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"en.20110407.5.4-076-000"2
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"Mr President, if you will allow me, I will try to answer several questions that were raised in this petition. I would like to thank Mrs Mazzoni for bringing up this question so we can clarify our position on this matter.
First, I would like to assure the House that the Commission monitors the quantity of tomatoes imported from Morocco closely, attentively, using a cross-checking system based on designation of quantities imported by Moroccan operators and daily import records kept by national customs authorities. The Commission, until today, does not have any proof of systemic fraud or systemic failure of the system that was put in place. We have the information concerning one case, to which I will come back a little later. This is related to the year 2007, when OLAF indeed emphasised that the system as it stands at present could result in opportunistic behaviour but not necessarily involving irregular behaviour.
It is recalled that the application of the entry price system and the levying of possible import duties in connection with this mechanism are the exclusive competence of the customs authorities of the Member States.
Another aspect to this question, which is quite important, is the international context of this matter, something that is really dominated by the Doha Round, which has not yet been completed. Any change to the entry price system and its current application mechanism could have a detrimental impact on the results achieved so far. The new bilateral agreement with Morocco preserves the interests of the European producers by maintaining the system of monthly tariff quotas of tomatoes and strict control of the quantities imported.
In addition, the agreement provides for improved cooperation and greater transparency in terms of market data in the fruit and vegetable sector. The quantitative increase in the tomatoes quota has been limited to 52 000 tonnes, which is well below traditional trade levels, and the increase is progressive and staggered over four marketing years, thereby preserving current market shares and the traditional supply to the European Union. The Commission therefore considers that any change to the current entry price system must respect the terms of the relevant international agreements.
The Commission ensures that the regulation is properly applied and therefore has carried out the investigation through OLAF. This is probably the case Mrs Mazzoni is referring to; whether there are irregularities as a result of incorrect interpretation of the implementing regulation. However, it is the responsibility of the national customs authorities to follow up on the results of the investigation. Recuperation is in progress but the publication of the data is strictly the responsibility of the competent customs authorities.
As regards the organisation of surveillance; this was one of the items that was raised by Mrs Mazzoni. Here, I have to say that the Commission, as I said, monitors tomato imports from Morocco using a cross-checking system. The quantities imported and reported by the Moroccan authorities on a weekly basis are monitored. The data is then compared with the data provided by the national customs authorities, who survey the system, and also by Eurostat. I think that we have very good and precise information and, if there were some systematic fraud and systematic irregularities, we would definitely spot it and take action."@en1
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