Mr President, Commissioner, five minutes are enough for a Friday. I had actually anticipated having less time, which means that I can make a few additional comments and still keep to my time. Hops are a special kind of plant. (Applause) After all, they add flavour and wort to this important popular foodstuff we call beer. (Applause) Truth is to be found not just in wine but also in beer. This is particularly important in the case of Bavaria, the land I come from and where this foodstuff we call beer has had an important role to play, both in terms of development down through the ages and the population’s outlook. Weißbier is, of course, a special kind of beer; it is well known in Munich and many people enjoy the taste. It is true that hops would grow almost anywhere but it takes people with special qualities to give the hops the care they need, so as to ensure a successful crop. There are a number of sayings about this, such as Der Hopf ist ein Tropf (hops are little rascals), which may prove rather difficult to translate but literally means: hops are a fickle crop that rewards careful tending particularly well but also makes one pay for sloppy work. Hops also expect a daily visit from the master. What all this amounts to is that hops are a very labour-intensive crop and therefore tend to be more widespread amongst people of an industrious bent. That explains why a large hop cultivation area has grown up where I come from. In central Bavaria, the Hallertau, a large hop cultivation area – in fact the largest in the world, because approximately one quarter of production derives from the Hallertau – has been developing over the last 150 years or more. Of course that is why this issue is of particular significance for Bavaria and for myself as a native of Bavaria. (Applause) I would like to again emphasise the fact that hops and beer made from hops could be said to stand for sociableness, for relaxation even. Incidentally, hops are also used for medicinal purposes. Bavaria is primarily famous for being the land of beer, but also for being the land of tradition and progress. You are bound to have often heard it said that tradition and progress are rated particularly highly in Bavaria. Indeed, the lederhosen and laptop saying is often quoted by Bavaria’s leader Mr Stoiber. Bavaria is not just famous for the Oktoberfest in Munich but also for its high tech. It is not without reason that the world famous University of Brewing of Munich-Weihenstephan is located in Bavaria. It has disseminated a great deal of knowledge to the world and has heavily influenced both hop cultivation and beer production in the far-flung corners of China and Russia, and even in the USA. Hence another saying: Hopfen und Malz, Gott erhalt’s (hops and malt, may God preserve them). This is important, also with regard to the regulation put forward by the Commission. I had a few other comments I wanted to make but I must keep within my time. I now come to the regulation and the report. It all boils down to the fact that many provisions in this area can no longer be used owing to their no longer being valid or due to the implications of the common organisation of the markets for hops. What it amounts to is that there is no longer a requirement to draft a major report annually, rather, owing to the fact that grants have been established for a period of five years, a report only has to be submitted once every five years from now on. Commissioner, I consider this plan to be right-minded, but with one minor reservation. It is only right, in view of the vast experience we have accumulated in Bavaria, that we should also pay a little more attention to the situation there, hence my suggestion that we must ensure that, as is already the case, the annual collection of data relating to the development of the areas under cultivation, demand, the spread of different types, prices, and also cultivation development, proceeds uninterrupted in the individual Member States, and that this information is made available to all concerned on an annual basis. I have obtained the Commission’s consent for this to be done over the Internet. This is why I have put forward two amendments and I call upon Parliament to vote in favour of them. I know, however, that the Commission does not look very kindly upon these proposed amendments. However, Parliament is something of a different kettle of fish to the Commission in my view. That is why I am asking for your support. (Laughter, applause)

Political group: PPE-DE