51996AC0536

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on:

- the 'Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) on improving the efficiency of agricultural structures`,

- the 'Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) on improving the processing and marketing conditions for agricultural products`, and

- the 'Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) on producer groups and associations thereof`

(96/C 204/12)

On 1 April 1996, the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Articles 43 and 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposals.

The Section for Agriculture and Fisheries, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 11 April 1996. The Rapporteur was Mr Bento Gonçalves.

At its 335th Plenary Session (meeting of 24 April 1996), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following Opinion by 102 votes to three, with 15 abstentions.

1. Gist of the proposals

1.1. The three proposals are designed to make the rules governing farm structures across the EU clearer and easier to consult. This is an essential step towards achieving the desired objective of improving the rural economy.

1.2. The proposals focus on farms in Objective 5a regions of the EU. The basic regulations are 1360/78, 866/90 and 2328/91, adopted in 1978, 1990 and 1991 respectively.

1.3. The proposals simply consolidate and update the relevant legislative texts, making them clearer and more transparent so that interested parties can consult them more easily.

2. Specific comments

2.1. In view of the considerations and principles set out in the Commission proposal COM(95) 434 final for a Council Regulation and the related Committee Opinion CES 1452/95, the Committee thinks that the Commission should take advantage of the present consolidation exercise to improve the legal framework governing producer organizations, especially in the fruit and vegetable sector.

2.1.1. These improvements should be included in the proposal for a Council Regulation on producer groups and associations thereof (COM(96) 58 final - 96/0046 CNS) and should make it easier for Member States to recognize farm cooperatives as producer organizations, in order to make the best use of their considerable long-standing experience in this sphere, without prejudice to equal treatment of the other relevant legal entities.

2.1.2. The Regulation should also explicitly provide for the possibility that producer organizations may consist solely of agricultural producers as typified in the EU by cooperatives and cooperative groups.

3. The Committee approves the Commission proposals, subject to the improvements referred to in point 2 above.

Done at Brussels, 24 April 1996.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Carlos FERRER