Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-03-02-Speech-4-030"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20000302.3.4-030"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:translated text |
"We have repeatedly stated this position to the Israeli authorities at every official meeting between the Commission and the relevant Israeli minister, the most recent of which was held on 21 January. On that occasion, the Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, attended a meeting with Romano Prodi, the President of the Commission, and with Commissioner Patten. It was furthermore widely known, as you have just said, Mrs Morgantini, that Israel’s interpretation of the territory to which the agreement applies does not match our own. The Commission believes, however, that our interpretation is completely unambiguous.
Hence, the relevance of your second question on the effectiveness of the verification system. The procedure for verifying the origin of products enables us to determine if a product may be benefiting from the right to preferential treatment, even if there is no cooperation on the part of the third country involved in determining the product’s origin. In our written answer to you, the Commission mentioned simplifying the procedure for determining the origins of a product. Of course, this does not mean that this alone will solve the problem or, in other words, that simplifying this procedure would automatically lead to a clearer indication of the product’s origin. As long as the customs services of the various Member States identify consignments which may not have originated in Israel, and as long as this is done by the national customs authorities, the Commission, for its part, will – to the extent that it is empowered to do so – maintain its dialogue with the Israeli authorities. In so doing, it will seek to ensure that the protocol on the rules of origin is properly applied in accordance with the only interpretation which the Commission can accept. In the event that these initiatives, which are currently under way, do not enable the origin of a product to be determined, the Commission may have to look at the possibility of calling a meeting of the Customs Cooperation Committee, in which the differences of opinion on verification procedures in this kind of agreement could be resolved.
With regard to the new measures, the Commission has, at official meetings with the Israeli authorities, discussed in great detail the issue of the application of the agreement, for which there are clearly defined procedures. In January of this year, the Israeli authorities suggested setting up a tripartite working group comprising representatives of the Palestinian authorities, of the Israeli Government and of the Commission. The aim of this working group would be to find mutually acceptable solutions for the transition period, without prejudice to the final outcome of the discussions currently taking place. Nor would they contravene the agreements which will remain in force until a final agreement is reached. President Arafat accepted this proposal at a meeting on 24 January with Commissioner Patten. The Commission is therefore seeking to confirm to both the Israeli Government and the Palestinian authorities that we are willing to accept this proposal, which we feel will allay the concerns that you have raised here, Mrs Morgantini."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples