ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(78)74
Vol.1978/0027

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(78)74 final
Brussels,8March1978
COMMUNICATION FROMTHECOMMISSION TOTHECOUNCIL
ThesupplyofcertainCommunityagricultural products
totheACPStates
C0M(78)74final

%Communication fromtheCommissiontotheCouncil
Subject:ThesupplyofcertainCommunityagricultural products
totheACPStates.
1.Intheirnoteof28March1977(seeannexA)theACPStates
askedtheCommunitytosetupaprogrammeforthesupplyofsurplus
foodproducts.Suchaprogrammewouldessentiallybeaimedatestablishing
conditionsastopriceandquantityleadingtogreaterstabilityforACP
imports.
thDuringtheirmeetingon13-14April1977theACP-EECCouncil
ofMinistersinstructedtheAmbassadors'Committeetoexaminethisrequest.
2.Theproblemofamorestablesupplyoffoodproductsraisedby
theACPStatesissubstantial .Inaddition,duringthelasttwoyears,more
than13%ofthetotalCommunityexportsoffoodproductswenttoACPcoun­
tries.Approximately 2/3oftheseexportsweremadeupofcereals,dairy
productsandsugarforwhichtheCommunityhas,invaryingdegrees,beenin
marketsurplus.
3.TheCommunityhas,inthepastyusedwithencouragingresults,
thefacilitiesavailablewithintheadministrative frameworkoftheCAP
tomeetcomparablesituations.ItisforthisreasonthattheCommission
considersthatitshouldbepossibletotackletheproblemsraisedbythe
ACPcountriesbyusingappropriate mechanisms,suchasexportrefunds,
whilstatthesametimerespectingthegeneralpricestructureoftheworld
market.Dependingontheproduct/thiswouldentailinsomecases,adjustments
tocertainmeasuresorprocedures.Forexample,itmightinvolvetenders
specifically forACPStates,extendingthevalidityofexportcertificates,
limitingcertainrefundstogeographical zonescoveringthecountriesin
question,orre-defining,ifnecessary,thesezonesinordertomakebetter
provisionfortheinterestsoftheACPStates.

4.Thistypeofmeasureisanintegralpartoftheagricultural'
marketmanagement,butitsusein.themannerindicatedaboveaswellas
theadjustmentsreferredtoinpara.3couldnotbejustifiedunless
therewereconcreteeconomicadvantages.Forthisreason,traderswho
mightbeinapositiontobenefitfromthisarrangement shouldberequired
toshowtheexistanceofacontractatacertainpointintimeinvolving
reciprocalobligations suchthattheimporteroftheACPcountrybere­
quiredtotakedeliveryofthequantitiesoftheproductconcernedand
fortheCommunityexportertomaintainthepriceattheagreedlevelforthe
entirelengthofthecommitment.
5.Inpracticaltermsandconsidering markettrends,theCommunity's
availablesupplies,andthecurrentstateofmeasuresbeingappliedwithin
theframeworkoftheagricultural marketorganisations ,productswhichmight
beconsideredarecommonwheatandflour,malt,dairyproductsand,toa
certainextent,whitesugar.
6.Inconclusion,itissuggestedthatareplyalongthelinesof
annexBbegivenbytheCommunitytotheACPStates.