Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 10 Nov 1998

Vol. 496 No. 3

Written Answers. - Duty Free Sales.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

251 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the next occasion on which there will be an opportunity to raise the issue of the ending of duty free sales at the Council of Ministers; and the preparation he is taking in advance of this opportunity to prepare the ground for a positive outcome. [22900/98]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

Ireland is the only member state to have regularly raised this issue at EU Councils and Summits.

As I informed the House previously, at my specific request, the proposed abolition of duty free sales was placed on the agenda for the ECOFIN Council meeting on 19 May 1998. While some member states broadly supported my request, it was not possible to get the EU Commission to agree to undertake an EU wide study into the consequences of the abolition of duty free sales for intra-Community trade post 30 June 1999. No formal decisions now arise for Council.

The setting of the agenda for Council meetings is primarily a matter for the Presidency, currently held by Austria. I understand the issue of duty free sales is not on the agenda for the next ECOFIN meeting, which is scheduled for 23 November 1998. No member state has, to date, asked that the matter be discussed at Council.