Examination of Witnesses (Questions 160-161)
24 MARCH 2004
MR JAROSLAV
CAMPL-«K
AND MR
MIROSLAV KOBERNA
Q160 Mr Drew: Do you think that the actions
of the EU Commission to try and overcome this threat of intervention
and manipulation is right? Is it fair?
Mr Campl-«k: We understand
that they would like to have the evidence and what we would like
to have it only on the raw material as it, not on the finished
product. Again, what has been already criticised to get the answer
back in six months what the real stock is, we think it is, again,
not a very good approach because what can happen in between. Again,
one thing which I do not understand, the sugar regime, as it is
going on in the EU, will start in our country or in new Candidate
Countries not the 1st of May but the 1st of July, which we do
not know what will happen on the market in between because you
cannot ask for subsidies in export to the said countries, so you
will be two months in certain disadvantage. We do not know if
you can import cheap sugar from Poland in between or what really
will happen. So we think there are still questions which have
been not answered by the Commission. We gave them a lot of questions
and we are waiting. I think they also do not know what to do.
Q161 Chairman: Gentlemen, thank you very
much for your very interesting and, indeed, positive perspective
about the Czech Republic and its preparations. It is quite remarkable
to be told by representatives from one of the accession states
that all is as well as you have said in terms of your food industry.
If that is the case, then you are to be congratulated on having
achieved a great deal in a short space of time. We did not find
such a rosy picture either in Poland or Hungary during our visit.
We are most grateful to you for your contribution and, in the
light of what you have heard this afternoon, if anything else
occurs to you to which you would like to draw our attention, then
we will be very happy to hear from you in writing. Thank you both
very much for giving of your time and your views. It has been
of great assistance and we send our best wishes to your industry
when you do join the European Union as full Members.
Mr Campl-«k: Thank you very
much for the invitation and for the attention. You are welcome,
if you have a trip to the Czech Republic, to visit us and to get
more information from us.
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