Brussels, 13/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - Commissioner Barnier, presented, on Monday, to the French authorities and the Corsican MPs the main points answers that the European Commission will bring to the calls for derogations for Corsica. The Commission should formally answer within one or two months the "Memorandum for a recognition of the insular specificities of Corsica in the European Union", passed on last July by France. According to a Communiqué, the Commissioner responsible for Regional Policy specified to his partners that:
The Commission is prepared to propose to the Council a derogation to the common VAT rate allowing to maintain to reduced rates on certain goods and products;
An additional period will only be given for the progressive alignment of the fiscal regime for manufactured tobacco on that invoiced on the continent if the present situation "is clarified" and that France adopts concrete measures for progressive alignment;
The Community rules "allowing to implement the measures considered" in the agricultural and fishing sector, but "does not allow to grant farmers direct aid compensating the additional costs linked to transportation;
"It is not possible, in the present regulatory framework, to accept State aid to the value of 75% for the aligning of standards for the premises used to process products";
The Commission "is examining, in detail, the transition provision with the present duty free zone".
Corsica will receive EUR 181 million in Community funds for the 2000-2006 period, under the Structural Funds Objective 1.