91996E0993

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0993/96 by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission (26 April 1996)

Subject: Common Agricultural Policy

Why is it that the regulations covering the Integrated Administration and Control System (AICS) to implement the Common Agricultural Policy cover 79 pages in the UK but only 4 pages in France?

Do both comply equally with European Union Law?

If so, is this an example where the British Government is imposing a bureaucratic burden and yet seeking to blame it on Europe?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (20 May 1996)

Member States have the responsibility for drawing up application forms for aid schemes covered by the Integrated administration and control system, as well as for the presentation of information booklets and other documentation to assist farmers in completing their claims. Given the diversity between Member States, in particular as regards the identification of agricultural parcels, it is to be expected that claim forms and other documents may also differ whilst still complying equally with the provisions of the Community regulations.

The United Kingdom document of 79 pages to which the Honourable Member refers is in fact an information booklet which gives a detailed explanation of the schemes covered by the Integrated system. There are 16 pages of explanatory notes to producers in France concerning area aid. In Germany a 38 page booklet was published on this subject. It must be borne in mind that the presentation (size of paper, layout) can be quite different as can be the style (repetition of Community legislation, examples added, amount of detail). Furthermore, in some Member States other methods of informing producers were also put into place.

Rather than being considered a bureaucratic burden the United Kingdom booklet could be regarded as an attempt to inform producers in a complete and detailed way of the terms and conditions of the schemes concerned.