A4-0203/96

Proposal for a Council Regulation providing for additional payments to be made in 1996 with the premia referred to in Article 4b(6) and Article 4d(7) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 on the common organization of the market in beef and veal and amending Article 4i(4) of that Regulation (COM(96)0242 - C4-0291/96 - 96/0148(CNS))

The proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 1)

Recital -1 (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas, in its conclusions of 29-30 March 1996, the Council confirmed the need to support all beef and veal producers hit by the crisis;

(Amendment 2)

Recital 1a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas, in its resolution of 22 January 1993 on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)1, the European Parliament called on the Commission to place strict controls on the manufacture of foodstuffs causing mad cow disease;

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1 OJ C 42, 15.2.1993, p. 273.

(Amendment 3)

Recital 1b (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas it has required sensationalist media coverage to produce a response to Parliament's request;

(Amendment 4)

Recital 1c (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas measures have been adopted, as part of the reform of the CAP, to promote greater use of plant proteins in animal feed;

(Amendment 5)

Recital 2

>Original text>

Whereas the market for beef has been seriously disturbed as a result of consumer concerns in relation to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and with a view to assuring the future of the sector, additional resources shall be made available; whereas in order to enable rapid payment and to achieve the desired economic effect, such resources shall generally be made available in the form of payments in addition to the premia due in respect of animals eligible in the 1995 calendar year, as the necessary data is already available; whereas, however, producers shall only be entitled to such additional payments to the extent that the number of eligible animals for which they are entitled to premium in respect of the 1996 calendar year is not reduced as compared with the 1995 calendar year;

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas the market for beef has been seriously disturbed as a result of consumer concerns in relation to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and with a view to assuring the future of the sector, additional resources shall be made available; whereas in order to enable rapid payment and to achieve the desired economic effect, such resources may be made available in the form of payments in addition to the premia due in respect of animals eligible in the 1995 calendar year, as the necessary data is already available; whereas, however, producers shall only be entitled to such additional payments to the extent that the number of eligible animals for which they are entitled to premium in respect of the 1996 calendar year is not reduced as compared with the 1995 calendar year;

(Amendment 6)

Recital 4

>Original text>

Whereas the additional payments to producers who receive a premium may not, depending on the particular production structure of a Member State, address fully the problems of certain producers; whereas Member States should be given the possibility to make payments to such producers; whereas the amount of money available to a Member State for this purpose should reflect the size, of its bovine herd, excluding dairy cows;

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas the additional payments to producers who receive a premium may not, depending on the particular production structure of a Member State, address fully the problems of all the producers affected; whereas Member States should be given the possibility to make adequate payments to all these producers; whereas the amount of money available to a Member State for this purpose should reflect the size of its bovine herd, excluding dairy cows;

(Amendment 7)

Article 1(1)

>Original text>

1. A producer whose entitlement to beef special premium under Article 4b of Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 in respect of animals kept in the 1995 calendar year is established shall, subject to the provisions of paragraph 3, be entitled to an additional ECU 21 for each premium which he receives. The additional payment shall, where possible, be made together with the payment of the premium referred to in Article 4b(6).

>Text following EP vote>

1. A producer whose entitlement to beef special premium under Article 4b of Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 in respect of animals kept in the 1995 calendar year is established shall, subject to the provisions of paragraph 3, be entitled to an additional ECU 10 for each premium which he receives. The additional payment shall, where possible, be made together with the payment of the premium referred to in Article 4b(6).

(Amendment 8)

Article 1(2)

>Original text>

2. A producer whose entitlement to suckler cow premium under Article 4d of Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 in respect of animals kept in the 1995 calendar year is established shall, subject to the provisions of paragraph 3, be entitled to an additional ECU 25 for each premium which he receives. The additional payment shall, where possible, be made together with the payment of the premium referred to in Article 4d(7).

>Text following EP vote>

2. A producer whose entitlement to suckler cow premium under Article 4d of Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 in respect of animals kept in the 1995 calendar year is established shall, subject to the provisions of paragraph 3, be entitled to an additional ECU 10 for each premium which he receives. The additional payment shall, where possible, be made together with the payment of the premium referred to in Article 4d(7).

(Amendment 14)

Article 4(b)

>Original text>

(b) pay national aid to such producers in addition to the payments under point (a) to the extent that such national aid does not lead to the estimated income loss being exceeded.

>Text following EP vote>

(b) pay national aid to such producers in addition to the payments under point (a) to the extent that such national aid is necessary to offset an actually verified income loss and does not under any circumstances lead to that loss being exceeded.

>Text following EP vote>

For the granting of such aid, the procedure laid down by the Treaty shall apply.

(Amendment 9)

Article 4a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Article 4a

The measures referred to in Article 4(a) shall amount to ECU 424 million and shall be distributed among the Member States by granting aid of ECU 10 for each male bovine which has not benefited from the premium. The remaining resources shall be distributed on the basis of the size of the male cattle herds.

>Text following EP vote>

The amounts referred to in the Annex to be modified accordingly.

(Amendment 10)

Article 8

>Original text>

Member States shall take all the necessary measures to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Regulation.

>Text following EP vote>

The Commission shall do its utmost to ensure greater - exclusive - use of plant proteins in animal feed in the European Union. Member States shall take all the necessary measures to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Regulation.

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation providing for additional payments to be made in 1996 with the premia referred to in Article 4b(6) and Article 4d(7) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 on the common organization of the market in beef and veal and amending Article 4i(4) of that Regulation (COM(96)0242 - C4- 0291/96 - 96/0148(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council, COM(96)0242 - 96/0148(CNS),

- having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Articles 42 and 43 of the Treaty (C4-0291/96),

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

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A4-0203/96),

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.