91998E3317

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3317/98

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(10 November 1998)

Subject: Measures to improve the production and marketing of honey

Regulation 1221/97(1) provides for measures to improve the production and marketing of honey.

Given that it specifically states on a number of occasions that it is aimed at beekeepers, the following questions arise in connection with the implementation of this Regulation:

1. Is it in keeping with the Regulation that, owing to the national programmes, the target group named by the Regulation should be neglected?

2. What control mechanisms does the Commission have to ensure that EU funds are used for the benefit of the target group in question?

3. How does the Regulation comply with the principle of transparency and targeted use, if only a tiny proportion of the aid is channelled directly to the target group, namely beekeepers?

4. How does the Commission view the fact that, owing to the national orientation of the measures "to improve the production and marketing of honey", only some 40 % of the resources provided have been utilised?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(22 December 1998)

Regulation (EC) 1221/97 on measures to improve the production and marketing of honey allows Member States to include in their programmes five particularly important types of measures: (a) technical assistance, (b) control of varroasis, (c) rationalisation of transhumance, (d) analysis of the physicochemical properties of honey and (e) applied research into improving the quality of honey. Clearly, while beekeepers are referred to in (a) of Article 1(2), the above-mentioned measures will all have a positive effect- although not necessarily a direct one - on beekeepers' incomes.

Article 4 of Commission Regulation (EC) 2300/97 of 20 November 1997 on detailed rules to implement Council Regulation (EC) 1221/97 laying down general rules for the application of measures to improve the production and marketing of honey(2) deals with control arrangements.

The deadline for incurring expenditure in respect of measures under national programmes for improving the production and marketing of honey has been postponed until 31 January 1999 in the case of the first year of implementation (Council Regulation (EC) 2070/98 of 28 September 1998 amending Regulation (EC) 1221/97 laying down general rules for the application of measures to improve the production and marketing of honey(3)), resulting in the carryover to the 1999 budget of part of the 1998 budget.

(1) OJ L 173, 1.7.1997, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 319, 21.11.1997.

(3) OJ L 265, 30.9.1998.