Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this Commission proposal aims to bring together under a single instrument the twelve promotion schemes which are currently applied on a sector-by-sector basis with each following its own rules. This approach is a welcome one, and is similar to that already employed to promote agricultural products in third countries. The proposal concerns both product information and production methods. It avoids overlap with the advertising and promotional activities of businesses in the sectors and of public authorities. The idea is to emphasise areas where a European approach is appropriate such as the provision of information on the intrinsic characteristics of products, including quality, nutritional aspects, organic production, etc. This should enable complementary measures to be taken, inevitably producing synergies. The proposal has certain immediate advantages: a single system providing information and promotion for all agricultural products and production methods; measures enabling the rationalisation of proper consumer information on foodstuff products; the decentralisation and general use of specifications for the sectors concerned. However, whilst the proposal as a whole appears relevant and well structured, I consider that it may be appropriate to clarify and improve certain aspects in order to enable the potential benefits to be fully exploited. My fellow members of the Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on the Environment did as much, and the text has been enhanced by the proposed amendments which have been adopted. Let me list some of these. We thought it important to include production methods in this information campaign as they are crucial to product quality. I also think it essential to provide for a greater financial contribution by the Community in the event of certain specific circumstances which would justify this, for example, a serious market crisis or marked Community interest. As regards the procedures to be followed in applying this regulation, calling on the various existing competent management committees does not seem to me to be the most appropriate approach, given the horizontal nature of this initiative. The establishment of an ad hoc management committee has been proposed, which would have competence for the promotion of agricultural products. Lists and guidelines should be drawn up more regularly. A period of two years has been suggested in order to ensure that the system retains a certain flexibility, the same interval as that proposed for the Commission to issue a report to the Council and to Parliament, assessing the implementation of the proposal and examining, among other things, the utilisation of appropriations and possible budgetary requirements. Moreover, given that it is for the trade bodies to take the initiative with regard to the measures to be proposed, the latter should not be confronted with guidelines that are too inflexible and would them in a straitjacket rather than providing them with a framework. The new arrangements should therefore not become effective until 2002. It would therefore be appropriate to set as the date of entry into force of the regulation the date of adoption of the implementing regulation, so as not to lose the appropriations available in 2001. Finally, a reference to the possibility of actions to promote products of the most remote regions and their logo should be explicitly reinserted into the text. Thus amended, the proposal would deserve our support. A coherent product promotion policy is one of the tools making it possible to put European farm models into practice effectively. It is also a major tool for communication with consumers who, these days, no longer know what food they can trust. In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, our chairman today reminded us that he was chairing the last sitting of this millennium. Let me draw your attention to the fact that the vote on this report will also be the last one this year. Perhaps this fact will instil a spirit of unanimity in us, which would, doubtless, knowing the great-heartedness of the Commission, lead it to accept all our amendments. Thanks you, ladies and gentlemen, and may I wish everyone in the Chamber today a very happy festive period. (Applause)

Political group: PSE