# CE2004078EN.01095602.xml

| 27.3.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 78/956 |
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27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 78/956

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(2004/C 78 E/1013)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0545/04

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(26 February 2004)

Subject:   CAP: consequences of the distribution of the reduction in income in agriculture and financing of techniques which promote animal welfare or are environmentally sound for use on small farms

Subject:

| 1. | Is the Commission aware of the report commissioned by the Netherlands Minister of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries and submitted on 1 April 2003 by the Agricultural Economics Research Institute (LEI) which analyses the impact of the Commission's reform proposals on developments in agriculture and particularly on farm incomes, and which indicates in particular that in the Netherlands the areas under cereals and fodder maize will decline substantially while cultivation of potatoes and vegetables will increase, the area of pastureland will increase by 5 % and family incomes will fall by 28,4 % from their present level of approximately EUR 30 000, the largest fall being 49 % in dairy farming? |
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1.

Is the Commission aware of the report commissioned by the Netherlands Minister of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries and submitted on 1 April 2003 by the Agricultural Economics Research Institute (LEI) which analyses the impact of the Commission's reform proposals on developments in agriculture and particularly on farm incomes, and which indicates in particular that in the Netherlands the areas under cereals and fodder maize will decline substantially while cultivation of potatoes and vegetables will increase, the area of pastureland will increase by 5 % and family incomes will fall by 28,4 % from their present level of approximately EUR 30 000, the largest fall being 49 % in dairy farming?

| 2. | How is this decline in income likely to work out for the EU as a whole in the categories less than 25 ha, 25-50 ha, 50-75 ha, 75-100 ha, 100-500 ha, 500-1 000 ha and more than 1 000 ha, broken down in percentages by type of farm in arable farming and livestock farming? |
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2.

How is this decline in income likely to work out for the EU as a whole in the categories less than 25 ha, 25-50 ha, 50-75 ha, 75-100 ha, 100-500 ha, 500-1 000 ha and more than 1 000 ha, broken down in percentages by type of farm in arable farming and livestock farming?

| 3. | In the reform plans, the Commission rightly intends to emphasise farming which promotes animal welfare and is environmentally sound, as an additional condition for payment of subsidies. How will the Commission ensure that this emphasis does not result in the most subsidies going to large farms which have greater resources by means of which to apply new and expensive techniques, while smaller farms which have already opted to adopt organic cultivation methods unaided are placed at a disadvantage? |
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3.

In the reform plans, the Commission rightly intends to emphasise farming which promotes animal welfare and is environmentally sound, as an additional condition for payment of subsidies. How will the Commission ensure that this emphasis does not result in the most subsidies going to large farms which have greater resources by means of which to apply new and expensive techniques, while smaller farms which have already opted to adopt organic cultivation methods unaided are placed at a disadvantage?

| 4. | Small farms in the new Member States which currently operate without new environmentally friendly techniques are particularly likely to find themselves at a disadvantage as regards the share they receive of grants to help finance desirable technical innovations. What will the Commission do to prevent this? |
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4.

Small farms in the new Member States which currently operate without new environmentally friendly techniques are particularly likely to find themselves at a disadvantage as regards the share they receive of grants to help finance desirable technical innovations. What will the Commission do to prevent this?

| 5. | In view of the anticipated unintended effects, will the Commission amend elements of its reform plans? |
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5.

In view of the anticipated unintended effects, will the Commission amend elements of its reform plans?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(22 March 2004)

(22 March 2004)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as soon as possible.

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