51995AC0592

Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Council Regulation (EC) No 603/95 on the common organization of the market in dried fodder () (95/C 236/20)

On 10 April 1995, the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Articles 43 and 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned proposal.

The Section for Agriculture and Fisheries, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 4 May 1995. The Rapporteur was Mr Strasser.

At its 326th Plenary Session (meeting of 31 May), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following Opinion unanimously.

1. The purpose of the proposed Council Regulation is to establish national guaranteed quantities (NGQs) of dried fodder for Austria, Finland and Sweden in accordance with the same procedure as for the other Member States and to adjust accordingly the maximum guaranteed quantities (MGQs) for the Community as a whole.

The NGQs for the Union of the Twelve's members were established on the basis of the data available to the Commission in July 1994, by taking into account their average dried fodder production in the marketing years 1992/93 and 1993/94 for which aid was received under Article 5(2), first subparagraph of Regulation (EEC) No 1117/78.

Austria, Sweden and Finland also produce dried fodder, for which aid can be granted in accordance with the common organization of the market in dried fodder. However, this requires the establishment of NGQs. The Commission has based the NGQs for the new Member States on their average dried fodder production in the calendar years 1992 and 1993. The proposed quantities are as follows:

- Sweden: 11,000 tonnes - Finland: 3,000 tonnes - Austria: 4,400 tonnes.

2. The Committee essentially endorses the Commission proposal (for a Council Regulation). Nevertheless, it notes that, whilst the Austrian NGQ for dried fodder largely satisfies the production requirements, the same cannot be said of Finland and Sweden, both of which produced considerably more artificially dried fodder in the years preceding the reference period. Weather conditions in those countries caused output to fall in 1992 and 1993 below the long-term average. The amount of 6,000 tonnes recently applied for by Finland would allow at least one drying plant to be used to capacity. Sweden applied for an NGQ of 15,000 tonnes. The Committee therefore calls on the Council to re-examine the Commission proposal in respect of the Finnish and Swedish NGQs. In this connection, it should be borne in mind that aid granted pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 603/95 represents an important contribution to the preservation of grassland farming - particularly in areas where there is virtually no alternative to this activity.

Done at Brussels, 31 May 1995.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Carlos FERRER

() OJ No C 79, 31. 3. 1995, p. 7.