91998E1046

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1046/98 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (6 April 1998)

Subject: Programme for improving honey production in Greece

Greece has submitted to the Commission a programme for improving the production and marketing of honey in 1998, in accordance with the provisions of Commission Regulation (EC) 2300/97 ((OJ L 319, 21.11.1997, p. 4. )).

This programme will be implemented by various bodies, organizations and apicultural cooperatives.

The Federation of Greek Apicultural Associations has addressed a letter to the Commission protesting about the way in which the implementation of the programme has been shared out among the various participants.

Since the Federation of Greek Apicultural Associations is a dynamic organization with many members and is financially solvent and reliable, will the Commission say: Has it investigated the substance of the allegations made by the Federation of Greek Apicultural Associations, and if so, what does it intend to do to give it a larger say in implementing the programme?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (8 May 1998)

On 15 December 1997, the Member States communicated their draft national programmes to improve the production and the marketing of honey in accordance with Article 2 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2300/97 on detailed rules to implement Council Regulation (EC) No 1221/97 laying down general rules for the application of measures to improve the production and marketing of honey, as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 758/98 ((OJ L 105, 4.4.1998. )).

Accordingly, Greece notified to the Commission the list of representative organisations and beekeeping cooperatives which collaborated with the Greek authorities on drawing up the programme. The Federation of Greek Apicultural Associations was included in this list.

Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1221/97 ((OJ L 173, 1.7.1997. )) stipulates that programmes shall be drawn up in close cooperation with the representative organisations and beekeeping cooperatives.

The Commission cannot therefore give these organisations a larger say in implementing the programme because Council Regulation (EC) No 1221/97 provides only for participation in drawing up the programmes.