92001E1751

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1751/01

by Carlos Ripoll y Martínez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 June 2001)

Subject: Aid for dried fruit

Agriculture plays only a small part in economic activity on the island of Majorca. Nevertheless, agriculture is a key element in its social structure and in regional planning and environmental protection policy on the island.

Dried fruit accounts for the bulk of agricultural production in Majorca, and the reduction or abolition of European Union aid would therefore deal a heavy blow to social cohesion on the island, since virtually all farming activity would disappear and farms would be abandoned.

1. What is the Commission's policy on dried fruit?

2. Will aid policy for dried fruit be continued?

3. Will the Commission draw a distinction between possible types of aid in line with their social impact in the various areas?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(30 July 2001)

1. The policy of the Commission on nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios and carobs) since 1989 has been to support the nut sector through specific and temporary measures. In this context, specific aid has been granted to the nut sector for 10 years under the provisions of Title IIa of Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72 of the Council of 18 May 1972 on the common organization of the market in fruit and vegetables(1) (improvement plans). The aim of the measure has been essentially to improve productivity and competitiveness.

A temporary specific flat-rate aid for hazelnuts was granted between 1997 and 2000.

2. Community expenditure from 1990 to 2000 was over 800 million. Further expenditure of nearly 200 million is foreseen until 2006 for improvement plans still in operation. In addition to this, producer organisations whose improvement plans were approved in 1990 were able to request continued financing of their plans for up to one year.

However such specific aid was always intended to be temporary and digressive, in order to allow a shift of financial responsibility on to the growers. On this basis, the Commission considers that a prolongation of improvement plans to provide economic support for the sector is not the most appropriate method to address this issue. The issue of nuts therefore has to be looked at in a wider context.

As for all other products in the fruit and vegetable sector, aid is available for nuts through the operational fund scheme of Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organization of the market in fruit and vegetables(2), which provides financial support for all fruit and vegetables marketed through producer organisations.

3. Finally, taking into account environmental and social aspects of nut production, Member States can of course include nuts in their rural development plans under the conditions of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain Regulations(3).

(1) OJ L 118, 20.5.1972.

(2) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996.

(3) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.