A4-0117/96

Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 1765/92 establishing a support system for producers of certain arable crops and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 1541/93 (COM(96)0044 - C4-0159/96 - 96/0056(CNS))

The proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 1)

Recital 1

>Original text>

Whereas, in order to qualify for the compensatory payments for arable crops introduced by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1765/92, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2989/952, farmers must set aside a percentage of their land; whereas, so as to prevent this compulsory set-aside only being carried out on a farm's marginal land, it is laid down that the set-aside must be rotational; whereas it is also laid down that the set-aside may be other than rotational provided that the percentage of land set aside is increased;

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas, in order to qualify for the compensatory payments for arable crops introduced by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1765/92, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2989/95, farmers must set aside a percentage of their land; whereas, so as to prevent this compulsory set-aside only being carried out on a farm's marginal land, it is laid down that the set-aside must be rotational; whereas it is also laid down that the set-aside may be other than rotational;

(Amendment 2)

Recital 2

>Original text>

Whereas experience has shown that farmers have a marked preference for other than rotational set-aside, because of the simplification that this can involve for the management of their cultivation plan; whereas, furthermore, a single rate of set-aside is more appropriate for set-aside used as a tool for the management of the markets for arable crops; whereas it should therefore no longer be required to carry out set-aside on a rotational basis and a single rate of set-aside should be set; whereas the abolition of compulsory rotation must not be allowed to weaken the reform of the common agricultural policy with regard to the control of production of arable crops; whereas account must be taken of this when setting the single rate of compulsory set-aside;

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas experience has shown that farmers have a marked preference for other than rotational set-aside, because of the simplification that this can involve for the management of their cultivation plan; whereas, furthermore, a single rate of set-aside is more appropriate for set-aside used as a tool for the management of the markets for arable crops; whereas it should therefore no longer be required to carry out set-aside on a rotational basis and a single rate of set-aside should be set; whereas it is necessary to avoid the risk of farmers having imposed upon them a single rate of set-aside which is excessively high in relation to the present situation on the world and Community markets, in the event of it not being possible to set a more appropriate rate before the beginning of the next marketing year;

(Amendment 68)

Recital 2a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas, since the introduction of the new support scheme for producers of arable crops, the cereals market has achieved a better balance thanks to the fall in production and the increase in domestic consumption; whereas the current situation on the international cereals market makes it difficult to supply both Community users and some third countries that are net importers of cereals who are faced with an increase in the price of their imports; whereas the current level of stocks is so low that an early decision to reduce the rate of set-aside for the forthcoming sowing season is justified;

(Amendment 3)

Recital 4a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas Regulation (EEC) No 1765/92 contains various compensatory payments which must be made to the applicant at different times in the year; whereas to reduce administration it would be advisable to grant the compensatory payments for cereals and protein crops, the set-aside payment and the increased advance for the oilseeds compensatory payment in a single amount between 16 and 31 October; whereas the remainder of the oilseed compensatory payment, which can be finally calculated only in January, should be paid together with the compensatory payments for the new marketing year in the following October or November; whereas it will thus be possible to make all the payments granted under this Regulation as a single transfer each year;

(Amendment 4)

ARTICLE 1(1)

Article 7(1)(a) (Regulation No 1765/92)

>Original text>

(a) the second and third subparagraphs of paragraph 1 are replaced by the following:

'The set-aside requirement shall be 18%';

>Text following EP vote>

(a) the second and third subparagraphs of paragraph 1 are replaced by the following:

'The set-aside requirement shall be 10%';

(Amendment 5)

ARTICLE 1(1a) (new)

Article 10(1) (Regulation No 1765/92)

>Text following EP vote>

1a. Article 10(1) is replaced by the following:

"1. The compensatory payments for cereals and protein crops, as well as the compensation for the set-aside obligation and advances for oilseed compensation payments shall be paid between 16 and 31 October next following the harvest. The remainder of the oilseed compensatory payment shall be paid at the same time as the compensatory payments for the following year.¨

(Amendment 6)

ARTICLE 1(1b) (new)

Article 11(2) (Regulation No 1765/92)

>Text following EP vote>

1b. Article 11(2), first sentence is replaced by the following:

>Text following EP vote>

"2. Producers who apply for an oilseed compensation payment shall be entitled to an advance payment of no more than 70% of the Projected Regional Reference Amount.¨

(Amendment 7)

ARTICLE 1(1c) (new)

Article 11(6) (Regulation No 1765/92)

>Text following EP vote>

1c. Article 11(6) is replaced by the following:

"6. The timetable of the regionalized system of payments to applicants shall be established by the Commission, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 38 of Regulation No 136/66/EEC1, taking into account Article 10(1) and Article 11(2).¨

1 OJ L 172, 30.9.1966, p. 3025.

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 1765/92 establishing a support system for producers of certain arable crops and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 1541/93 (COM(96)0044 - C4-0159/96 - 96/0056(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council, COM(96)0044 - 96/0056(CNS) ((OJ C 125, 27.4.1996, p. 1.)),

- having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Articles 42 and 43 of the Treaty (C4-0159/96),

- having regard to Rule 58 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on External Economic Relations and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection (A4-0117/96),

1. Approves the Commission proposal subject to Parliament's amendments;

2. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

3. Asks to be consulted again should the Council intend to make substantial modifications to the Commission proposal;

4. Instructs its President to forward this opinion to the Council and Commission.