92002E3321

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3321/02

by Mikko Pesälä (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 November 2002)

Subject: Proposed end to intervention for rye

The Commission's draft interim report proposes a complete end to market intervention in rye. Rye is used for fodder in several countries, but for others it has a much wider significance. In Finland, for example, rye with its high fibre content and positive effect on health has been a fundamental ingredient of dietary foods such as rye bread and rye porridge. Finns obtain 40 % of their total dietary fibre requirement from rye, and the situation is almost the same in the other Nordic countries.

How does the Commission propose to take account in its interim report of the fact that in some countries rye is of considerable importance to health policy, and that without continued intervention in rye used as a particularly high-quality foodstuff, it would not be possible to produce it in future?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(10 December 2002)

The market in rye shows a structural imbalance between the current volume of production and outlets on the internal market.

In addition, sales on the world market require a disproportionate refund rate and demand is limited. In this situation accumulation of intervention stocks is inevitable.

The amount of rye used in the Community is estimated at 4 million tonnes, of which 1,5 million goes for human consumption.

In proposing that intervention be ended the Commission wishes to align production on the capacity of internal outlets, including human consumption.

Intervention is merely a safety net. Stopping it will affect only the surplus of production over outlets.