Activites

• 2002/12/13 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Decision 2002/973
  • OJ L 337 13.12.2002, p. 0083-0084
• #2474
• 2002/12/10 Council Meeting
• 2002/12/10 End of procedure in Parliament
• 2002/12/10 Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
• 2002/11/20 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0540/2002 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Margie SUDRE (EPP-ED, France) approving the Commission's proposal.�

• 2002/11/05 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0377/2002
• 2002/09/23 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2002/08/23 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2002)0473 summary

    PURPOSE : to extend the exemption from dock dues in the French overseas departments. CONTENT : Council Decision 89/688/EEC concerning the dock dues in the French overseas departments states that partial or total exemptions from the charge may be authorised for local production activities for a period of not more than ten years from the date of introduction of the system. This period expires on 31 December 2002. Subsequent Treaty amendments mean that future tax requests for such regions have to be assessed on the basis of detailed requests from the Member States in question. A Commission report of 1999 which assesses the system of dock fees concludes hat the four French overseas departments are in a much more fragile economic and social situation compared with the rest of the EU by virtue of being outermost regions. Dock dues provide local authorities with a way of helping threatened sectors survive in an unfavourable economic environment and with resources to support the economic and social development of each region, as an adjunct to Community policies, and to maintain a certain level of education and health. The European Court of Justice has, however, laid down criteria for exemptions, which must be necessary, proportionate, and precisely determined. In March 2002, France sent a detailed request to the European Commission to extend the system of dock dues for ten years. The Commission considers that the exact nature of the exemptions needs to be defined. Measures adopted under this system must not undermine the integrity or coherence of the Community legal order, including the internal market and common policies. The French authorities must provide additional information before a long-term system can be introduced. It is essential, however, that continuity is maintained in the special tax arrangements in the overseas departments where there is still a huge structural deficit in development. Average GDP levels are still less than 50% of the Community average and there are sustained rates of high unemployment. The Commission concludes that the effects of Council Decision 89/688/EEC should be temporarily extended from 1 January 2003 for a short period of one year.�

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/index_en.htm', 'title': 'Taxation and Customs Union'}],

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2002)0473
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0377/2002
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0540/2002
• : Decision 2002/973
• : OJ L 337 13.12.2002, p. 0083-0084

History

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