D66 niEUws: morgen nieuw nummer

[Daniel.HANEKUYK at DG3.CEC.BE]

Ramon Barends vroeg:
> Is het mogelijk om dit verslag te ontvangen 
> (liefst de Engelse versie) ?

Helaas is er alleen het persverslag, want een
woordelijk verslag ontbreekt (dat was de strekking
van het artikel). Bovendien is er geen printer-
vriendelijke versie van het persverslag op internet,
waardoor het herformatteren in onderstaande vorm
ook de nodige tijd kost.

Volgens het verslag betrof de euroscepsis van FB
alleen het pre-Amsterdam verdrag, toen het EP
nog weinig macht had. Het Verdrag van Amsterdam
trad op 1 mei jl. in werking. 

Daniel Hanekuyk 

========================================
Bolkestein says complete tax harmonization is unrealistic 
========================================
Mr Bolkestein appeared in a confirmation hearing, 
chaired by Ana de Palacio Vallelersundi (EPP ED, E), on 
Monday afternoon.

He told MEPs that the internal market was at the heart of 
Community policy and that his priorities for the next five 
years were the following: 
.    better implementation of existing legislation: EU 
member states faced infringement proceedings if they 
failed to meet their obligations; 
.    a new strategy aimed at the full exploitation of the 
potential of the internal market; 
.    effective communication with the citizens and 
business in the EU; 
.    a virtually free internal market for financial services; 
.    a coordinated policy regarding e-commerce; 
.    micro-economic and structural reforms (the Cardiff I 
agenda); 
.    a better, more transparent public procurement policy 
and 
.    harmonisation of taxes, excises and VAT. 

The nominee Commissioner welcomed the new 
relationship between the European Commission and the 
European Parliament. Transparency, responsibility and 
initiative were of great value. The average EU citizen 
should understand the process of decision making better. 
Therefore, a European forum for a public exchange of 
views was necessary. More concretely, Mr Bolkestein 
suggested a European weekly, in which a French 
politician, a Dutch journalist, a German writer and a 
Finnish civil servant could discuss European affairs.

Euroscepticism

Questioned by Klaus-Heiner Lehne (EPP-ED, D), Diana 
Wallis (EPP, UK), Willy Rothley (PES, D), Joke Swiebel 
(PES, NL) and Heidi Hautala (Greens/EFA, FIN) on his 
past "Eurosceptic" remarks and on the role of the EP, the 
Commissioner-designate stressed that that had been in 
1996, when the competences of the Parliament had still 
been limited. He added that the codecision procedure was 
also an enormous improvement. He stressed that he did 
not share the views of Michael Portillo in the UK and 
Charles Pasqua in France who were the real Eurosceptics.

Taxation policy

Christa Randzio-Plath (PES, D), Karl von Wogau (EPP-
ED, D), Pierre Jonckheer (Greens/EFA, B), Hans 
Blokland (EDD, NL), Olle Schmidt (ELDR, S) and Karla 
Peijs (EPP-ED, NL) raised the issue of tax harmonisation 
in general and excise duties and VAT in particular and 
their consequences for EU citizens and enterprises. The 
Commissioner-designate pointed out that the complete 
harmonisation of all taxes in the EU was an illusion and 
was not necessary. The EU Treaties retained the rule of 
unanimity in tax matters. The degree of progressivity of 
income tax was deeply rooted in the social and political 
traditions of the Member States.

In other areas, such as indirect taxation (VAT, excises), 
which were closely linked to the functioning and the 
efficiency of the internal market, a high degree of 
harmonisation was necessary but would be very difficult. 
Mr Bolkestein added that VAT should be paid where 
goods were consumed. The Commissioner-designate was 
now waiting for the results that the Council was 
committed to producing in time for the Helsinki summit 
later that year.

Postal services

Veronique Mathieu (EDD, F), Markus Ferber (EPP-ED, 
D) and Brian Simpson (PES, UK) questioned the 
Commissioner-designate on the future of the postal 
services in the EU. They felt it was essential to ensure 
and preserve a universal service of quality in the postal 
sector in accordance with Directive 97/67/EC. That 
universal service was and must remain a cornerstone of 
the sector. Parliament considered that the deadlines for 
legislation laid down in Articles 7 and 27 of the directive 
had expired. The proposals that the Commission should 
have submitted before the end of 1998 had not yet 
arrived. 

Mr Bolkestein reminded MEPs that the principle of 
liberalising postal services had been accepted by the 
Council and the Parliament. He agreed that universal 
service would ensure the provision of a service of 
specified quality at affordable prices for all users. On that 
basis he fully supported the provisions of the present 
postal services directive. He promised that the 
Commission would bring forward proposals for the 
gradual liberalisation of the sector as soon as possible. A 
draft directive would be submitted to Parliament before 
the end of the year.

Consumer protection 

Responding to fears about consumer safety voiced by 
Donald MacCormick (Greens/EFA, UK) and Manuel 
Medina Ortega (PES, E), the Commissioner-designate 
backed the idea of a European food safety agency, saying 
the BSE and dioxin contamination crises showed that 
consumers' fears were well-founded. Nothing must 
impede the completion of the single market but its 
development must always be balanced with consumer 
protection. Consumer confidence in quality products was 
vital but, on the issue of quality standards and food 
labelling, Mr Bolkestein said distortions of competition 
must be avoided and mutual recognition of standards by 
Member States would cause them to raise standards as a 
result of peer pressure. Pressed by the Environment 
Committee delegate, Philip Whitehead (PES, UK), on the 
dangers of "vulnerable consumers" being "taken for a ride 
by powerful interests" in the e-commerce sector, Mr 
Bolkestein said consumers must be able to seek redress 
swiftly but the issue of the responsibility of Internet 
service providers had to be discussed.

Energy tax

To Alexander de Roo (Greens/EFA, NL), for the 
Environment Committee, who asked Mr Bolkestein if he 
would join Ms Margot Wallström, nominee Environment 
Commissioner, in pushing for an energy tax, Mr 
Bolkestein said he would support the proposal on the 
Council table as energy pricing was the best way of 
saving energy. He warned though that it would place 
energy- intensive industries at a disadvantage. 

Labour market policy

Asked by Evelyne Gebhardt (PES, D) about the role of 
labour-market and industrial relations policies in his 
vision for the future of the EU, the nominee 
Commissioner said they were linked to the internal 
market but must not jeopardize its development. He went 
on to endorse a reduction in the VAT rate on labour-
intensive services such as hairdressing and restaurants, 
provided that did not create distortions of competition. 

The single market - regulation or deregulation?

In answer to Diana Wallis and Lord Inglewood (EPP-ED, 
UK) who feared that too much red tape placed a burden 
on business and provided ammunition for the 
Eurosceptics, Mr Bolkestein said subsidiarity was 
essential and the Member States must be left to manage 
their own affairs where possible. Nonetheless, there were 
areas, such as patents, or pensions, where the EU had an 
important role to play. On the question of completing the 
single market, he assured Alain Krivine (EUL-NGL, F) 
that freedom of movement for citizens was as important 
as the free flow of capital and agreed with Lord 
Inglewood that the Member States must implement the 
single market legislation. Their progress was tracked with 
the "single market scoreboard", a highly effective method 
device for "naming and shaming" countries that were 
lagging behind. Liberalization of the market could only 
benefit business, especially SMEs, as well as consumers, 
and increase prosperity in the EU. A level playing field 
must be created to ensure fair competition.

Further information:    Mary Brazier, tel: 284 2672, 
email: mbrazier at europarl.eu.int &  Ton Huijssoon, tel: 
284 2408, email: thuyssoon at europarl.eu.int
=====================================================
http://WWW.EUROPARL.eu.int/dg3/sdp/newsrp/en/index.htm