A4-0129/98

Resolution on the report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 1467/94 of 20 June 1994 (COM(97)0327 - C4-0492/97)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament, COM(97)0327 - C4-0492/97,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A4-0129/98),

A. resolved to support the EU programme initiated by Parliament in 1993 and adopted by the Council in 1994 for the conservation, characterization, collection and utilization of genetic resources in agriculture (Regulation (EC) No 1467/94) ((OJ L 159, 28.6.1994, p. 1.)) and to make it a success with the participation of all individuals and institutions active in this field,

B. whereas critical opinions have been voiced by the appropriate authorities of the Member States and by public and private institutions and persons interested or already involved in the programme,

C. whereas the United Nations has made extensive international efforts to conserve biodiversity and genetic resources in agriculture, especially in the framework of Agenda 21, adopted in Rio in 1992, and the special FAO conference on the conservation of genetic resources held in June 1996,

1. Points out that, as the 'policy of sustainable rural development' announced in Agenda 2000 and the 'integration of environmental and agricultural policy' are particularly dependent on the conservation and utilization of a wide range of genetic resources, the financial endowment of Regulation (EC) No 1467/94, together with the agricultural and environmental measures for which Regulation (EEC) No 2078/92 ((OJ L 215, 30.7.1992, p. 85.)) provides, must be greatly improved;

2. Criticizes the Commission's lack of determination and inadequate coordination with respect to the financial endowment and staffing of the programme, which has led to the cancellation of the budget resources for 1997, the reduction of the resources for 1998 and considerable uncertainty among those involved in the conservation of genetic resources;

3. Expresses its disappointment at the Commission's failure to use the programme's accompanying measures for exchanges among public and private gene banks, researchers, farmers, gardeners and other interested parties and its consequent general inability to play the role incumbent on it of coordinating and promoting cooperation within the EU;

4. Emphasizes the need to improve the quality of the current inventory of collected resources so that in situ collections, animal resources and species of trees in particular may be better recorded and described and their specific qualities in respect of utilization - specific qualities of domestic animals with regard to landscapes and the conditions under which they are kept, peculiarities of plant varieties in terms of taste, colour, storability and processing - may be better depicted;

5. Sees an urgent need, looking ahead to the accession of the new Member States and the financial and staffing problems they will encounter in conserving genetic resources, for the programme to be extended to include these regions during the pre-accession phase;

6. Calls on the Commission to change the requirements to be satisfied by the promotion of projects on a cost-sharing basis and by concerted actions in such a way that account is taken not only of individual species but also of related groups of species and their specific environment and that, in particular, integrated in situ conservation and utilization measures can be assisted;

7. Calls on the Commission to coordinate projects implemented under Regulation (EC) No 1467/94 and their outcome with the accompanying measures for promoting environment-friendly production and reafforestation (Regulations (EEC) Nos 2078/92 and 2080/92 ((OJ L 215, 30.7.1992, p. 96.))), to promote not only the premiums for rare breeds of animal but also the conservation of regionally appropriate useful plants and trees and, with the accompanying measures for which Regulation (EC) No 1467/94 provides, to endeavour to ensure that constructive cooperation among researchers, gene banks, in situ conservators, farmers, gardeners and breeders continues to be supported or comes into being in practice;

8. Requests that the Standing Committee, which consists solely of representatives of the Member States, be joined by an independent forum set up by the Commission within the framework of the accompanying measures in which those active in the formal and informal sectors meet interested members of the Standing Committee at least once a year and advise the Commission on the development of the programme;

9. Requests the Commission to cooperate more closely with the European Cooperative Programme for Crop Genetic Resources Networks (ECP/GR) and the European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN) in the distribution of tasks and to shift the emphasis of work under the programme from the 'permanent inventory' to the 'conservation of genetic diversity through utilization in agricultural and horticultural practice' so as to be better equipped for the new tasks after the reform of the CAP with a view to the necessary integration of economic, ecological and social aspects;

10. Calls on the Commission to play an active part in the creation of structures in the Member States for cooperation based on a division of labour among ex situ collections with the aim of developing a rational and efficient form of management for such collections;

11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the parliaments and governments of the Member States.