§ Sir Richard BodyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information she has received from the other member states of the European Union about the charges they propose to make on bulb growers for field inspection for the purpose of a passport.
§ Mr. JackI have no precise details of the charges made by other member states on bulb growers for field inspections for the purpose of a plant passport. However, I have general details of the plant passporting charges in many northern European member states, including the Netherlands. Although direct comparisons are difficult to make, the principle of setting fees which achieve full cost recovery is a common element.
§ Sir Richard BodyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what requirements are imposed by the EC Commission on the Council of Minsters of member states to impose a charge on bulb growers when their records of bulb passports are examined.
§ Mr. JackAt the present time, there is no EC requirement that member states should charge for any aspect of plant passport authorisation checks. However, it is the policy in many member states, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, France and Germany, that the industry, rather than the taxpayer, should meet the cost of providing a range of plant passport services.
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