Activites

• 1998/12/31 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Directive 1998/94
  • OJ L 358 31.12.1998, p. 0105
• #2151
• 1998/12/14 Council Meeting
• 1998/12/14 End of procedure in Parliament
• 1998/12/14 Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
• 1998/12/03 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0707/1998 summary

    The European Parliament adopted the report by Mr Werner LANGEN (PPE, D) on extending the temporary derogation applicable to Germany and Austria. It approved the derogation in question, but called for it to expire on 01.01.2002 rather than 01.01.2003. As from 2002, Austria and Germany should apply the ECU 175 limit which applied throughout the rest of the Community. Parliament also called for the Commission to produce, by 30 June 1999, a study examining in detail the effects of the increase in the allowance on local suppliers (particularly small and medium-sized businesses in the frontier regions of Germany and Austria). It wished the study to contain concrete proposals with a view to: -preparing the undertakings concerned for the new limits by means of appropriate measures, particularly in the field of structural policy; -bringing countries other than Member States and EFTA members that border on German or Austrian territory into line with the European Community's competition system, in keeping with pre-accession strategy.�

• 1998/11/25 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0440/1998
• 1998/09/14 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1998/07/24 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1998)0473 summary

    OBJECTIVE: to amend Directive 94/4/EC in order to extend until 2003 the temporary fiscal derogation applicable to Germany and Austria with regard to duty-free allowances for travellers. SUBSTANCE: Until 31.12.1997, Austria and Germany enjoy a derogation allowing them to apply an allowance of ECU 75 (instead of ECU 175, which is the Community figure) for goods imported by travellers entering their territory at a land border (or, where applicable, by means of coastal navigation) linking them to countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, etc.) other than Member States and EFTA members. The reasons put forward by these two Member States concerned both the considerable disparity in prices between their national markets and those of their neighbours to the east, and the existence of duty-free shops in close proximity to their land borders with those countries. These factors were causing considerable commercial and fiscal distortions. The German and Austrian authorities have requested an extension of the derogation, as socio- economic conditions in their eastern neighbours persist. Accordingly, the Commission proposes to extend the derogation until 01.01.2003, with the proviso that the two Member States concerned must gradually raise the limit from the figure of ECU 75. The proposal therefore sets a figure of ECU 100, which is to apply as from 01.01.1999 in order to limit distortions of fiscal and customs competition between Member States. Germany and Austria will be required to increase this figure gradually, to reach ECU 175 by 01.01.2003 at the latest.�

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1998)0473
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A4-0440/1998
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0707/1998
• : Directive 1998/94
• : OJ L 358 31.12.1998, p. 0105

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)