91997E3054

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3054/97 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (2 October 1997)

Subject: Reform of the COM in olive oil

The Commission has submitted a note to the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament on the olive and olive oil sector (including economic, cultural, regional, social and environmental aspects), the current common market organization, the need for a reform and the alternatives envisaged (COM(97) 57 final).

From the political point of view, the Commission proposal fails to promote the development of the Community's traditional olive-growing regions.

From the economic point of view, it fails to encourage the competitiveness of the European olive-growing sector. In fact, the proposal to introduce aid per tree means it will be impossible to maintain sustainable olive groves in future, which is vital for safeguarding Europe's leading position.

From the environmental point of view, the introduction of aid per tree will prompt growers to stop cultivation, increasing the risk of environmental deterioration.

From the social point of view, production aid protects current levels of employment and prevents depopulation in rural areas. Introducing aid per tree would in practice lead to the disappearance of the various systems of exploiting the production of olive groves, some of which are of vital importance for small producers and their employees.

Will the Commission review the question of providing aid on the basis of the number of trees? In this connection, it should be stressed that growers could leave olives on the trees, collect the aid and save the labour costs concerned, or could plant olive trees solely for the purpose of securing aid.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (20 October 1997)

First and foremost, it should be made clear that the note on the olive oil sector referred to by the Honourable Member sets out various alternatives for reforming the current common organisation of the market in olive oil, one being the grant of aid per tree.

The Commission does not believe that this particular alternative will have the negative consequences outlined by the Honourable Member (like the abandonment of cultivation, environmental deterioration and the problem of unemployed labour), provided that the aid per tree is granted subject to certain conditions, including the obligation to pick the olives.