92001E0697

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0697/01

by Eurig Wyn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(8 March 2001)

Subject: Suckler cow premiums

Would the Commission agree that the recent seven point plan for the UK is unfavourable to beef production in the UK, and especially for Wales? Given the proposal to reduce the number of productive suckler cows eligible for the suckler cow premium, the UK will be affected disproportionately with 18 % of the suckler cows population in the UK compared with only 11 % of total EU beef production.

Does the Commission accept that it is unfair that the UK has to introduce these changes when we already have in place an over thirty month scheme that has removed animals from the market for the last five years?

Does the Commission also accept that reducing the number of suckler cows in the market will have a negative effect on consumers as it will reduce the higher quality beef being produced for the European consumer?

Is it not also illogical to further concentrate beef production from dairy herds where a much higher incidence of BSE has occurred.

Finally, will the Commission look again at the calf slaughter premium scheme? This scheme can be carried out at lower cost than the other measures being proposed by the Commission such as the change to the suckler cow scheme. It will remove the lower quality animals from the market and will also have a more rapid impact in the re-balancing of the market.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(2 May 2001)

The Commission proposals are covering the short term as well as the longer term and are including measures in favour of a higher quality production.

The measures proposed for the suckler cow premium are focusing in particular on limiting production in the future so as to contribute to market equilibrium. The application of these measures in the whole Community is the condition for their full effectiveness.

Since beef and veal production depends largely on the number of cows, future meat production can be reduced by cutting down the number of suckler cows. Nevertheless, the measures are formulated in such a way that the impact on the farmer's income is small. The minimum number of heifers keeps the number of premium paid to the farmer unchanged but reduces the number of calves born.

The number of dairy cows is determined by the total reference quantity of milk allocated to the producer. Therefore, the premium for processing of calves would be a solution to achieve a reduction of the meat quantities put on the market in the short term. Nevertheless, this solution appears to be a theoretical one. The Commission recalls that such a premium was under severe attack from a lot of animal welfare organisations and the Berlin European Council agreed that this kind of premium should only be kept as a possible measure to be financed by national aids.