91999E1627

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1627/99

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(15 September 1999)

Subject: Measures to support rice-growing in Greece

Regulation 2072/98(1) established two base areas for rice-growing in Greece. As a result of implementing the Regulation in 1998, no aid was paid to producers in the second area in which the quota was exceeded despite the fact that the overall quota of 24 891 hectares laid down for Greece was not surpassed.

The regionalisation system coupled with the exceptionally high co-responsibility fine for exceeding the quota have left rice-growers in a particularly difficult situation. Will the Commission, therefore, allow quotas to be transferred from one area to another, as is the case with durum wheat? What other measures will it take to support rice-growing (increase in the overall ceiling, allocation of quotas by prefecture, controlling the massive, unrestricted imports from third countries)?

(1) OJ L 265, 30.9.1998, p. 4.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(11 October 1999)

At the request of the Greek authorities, Article 6 of Council Regulation (EC) 3072/95 on the common organisation of the market in rice(1) was amended in order to divide the Greek national base area into two parts:

I. Prefectures of Thessaloniki, Serres and Fthiotida: 22 330 hectares.

II. Other prefectures: 2 561 hectares.

As the Honourable Member points out, in the case of base area II (other prefectures), the land sown in 1998 (5 180 hectares) largely exceeded the base area (2 561 hectares), so the compensatory payment was reduced by 100 % in accordance with Article 6(5) of Regulation (EC) 3072/95.

In response to a recent request made by the Greek authorities, the Commission now intends to propose to the Council a further amendment of Article 6 of Regulation (EC) 3072/95 under which the regions of Kavala and Etolia-Akarnania, which are currently included in base area II (other prefectures), would be included in base area I instead.

Doing so should lessen the risk that the base area for other prefectures will be exceeded.

(1) OJ L 329, 30.12.1995.