92000E3322

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3322/00

by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

(25 October 2000)

Subject: Sugar Management Committee opinion on draft Regulation No 1481/2000

Does the Commission agree that according to current legislation, draft Regulation No 1481/2000 of 6 July 2000(1) should be referred to the Sugar Management Committee for its opinion?

If so, would the Commission provide me with a copy of the Committee's approval of the draft regulation pursuant to the minutes of the Committee's meeting?

(1) OJ L 167, 7.7.2000, p. 6.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 December 2000)

Council Regulation (EEC) No 1600/92 of 15 February 1992 introducing specific measures in respect of certain agricultural products for the Azores and Madeira(1) provides in Article 10 that the Commission should determine, according to the Comitology procedure, the measures for implementing the specific supply arrangement. These measures include in particular producing special supply balances.

It is within this framework that the Commission submitted to the management committee for sugar, on 21 June 2000, a draft Commission Regulation establishing the sugar forecast supply balance for the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands for the marketing year 2000/01 provided for under Regulation (EEC) No 1600/92 and Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/92 of 15 June 1992 introducing specific measures concerning certain agricultural products for the Canary Islands.

Once the management committee for sugar had expressed its favourable opinion on the proposed measures, the Commission adopted the above Regulation (EC) No 1481/2000 on 6 July 2000 establishing the sugar forecast supply for the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands for the marketing year 2000/2001 provided for under Regulation (EEC) No 1600/92 and Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/92(2).

A copy of the draft regulation text, as submitted to the management committee, is being sent directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.

(1) OJ L 173, 27.6.1992.

(2) OJ L 167, 7.7.2000.