52000AC0241

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the "Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 3448/93 laying down the trade arrangements applicable to certain goods resulting from the processing of agricultural products"

(2000/C 117/10)

On 22 February 2000 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Articles 37 and 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Economic and Social Committee decided to appoint Mr Espuny Moyano as rapporteur-general to prepare its work on the subject.

At its 370th plenary session on 1 and 2 March 2000 (meeting of 2 March), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 61 votes to one with two abstentions.

1. Summary of the proposal

1.1. The proposal to amend Regulation (EEC) No 3448/93 follows on from the agreement on agriculture reached in the Uruguay Round which limited the total amount of payments in the form of refunds.

1.2. The ceiling is EUR 475 million for 2000, falling to EUR 415 in 2001.

1.3. Given these ceilings, provision is made for the present inward processing arrangements (IPA) to continue so as to ensure that EU industry remains competitive.

1.4. So that the amount allocated to refunds is used in the best possible way, a management committee on "horizontal questions concerning trade in agricultural products not listed in Annex I" is to be set up.

2. General comments

2.1. The Committee welcomes the proposal and agrees that a management committee should be set up.

2.2. The Committee is concerned about the competition to Community agricultural producers from third countries and about supplies of raw materials to the agri-foodstuffs industry at international prices, necessary for it to remain competitive and retain its place in world trade.

3. Specific comments

3.1. The Committee considers that SMEs may find themselves disadvantaged not only in finding it more difficult to obtain information and deal with administrative procedures under these trade arrangements, but also because the decrease and concentration in refunds may prevent them from gaining access to both the refund and inward processing arrangements.

3.2. The Committee urges that its views be taken into consideration and that particular attention be paid to SMEs to avoid discrimination against them.

Brussels, 2 March 2000.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Beatrice Rangoni Machiavelli