NoC108/42 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 19.4.93
5.Conclusion 4.2.GiventheCommission'sconcerntomobilize
localsavings,andthesizeoftheexternaldebtofthe
countriesconcerned,loansmustbereservedfor
measuresleadingdirectlytorevenue.
4.3.Onthisbasis,Article7mustspecifythenature
ofmeasuresqualifyingfor100%subsidy.5.1.Iftheprogrammeistobeeffective,anawareness
oftherealpossibilitiesfordiversification isessential,
particularlywithregardtopossibleoutletsfornew
products.
DoneatBrussels,25February1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation(EEC)onthecommonorganizationof
themarketinpotatoesf1)
(93/C108/13)
On10December1992,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheEconomicandSocialCommitteeinstructedMrStokkers,Rapporteur-General ,toprepare
itsworkonthesubject.
Atits303rdPlenarySession(meetingof25February1993),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionbyalargemajority,with3votesagainstandno
abstentions .
1.Introduction
1.1.Potatoesareoneoftheminorityofagricultural
productswhicharenotyetcoveredbyacommon
organizationofthemarket.
1.2.TheMemberStatesareconsequentlyfreeto
applynationalregulationstothepotatomarket.The
extenttowhichthisfreedomisusedvariesverycon­
siderably.
1.3.TheCommissionconsidersthat,withaview
tothecompletionofthesinglemarketin1993,the
applicationbytheMemberStatesofverydifferent
regulationsforthepotatomarketcannotbeallowedto
continue.1.4.TheCommissionproposesacommonmarket
organisationbasedonfiveprinciples:
—Thecommonmarketorganizationshouldnotinter­
ferewithmarketforces.
—Themarketpositionofpotatogrowersmustbe
improved.
—Thereshouldbeacommonapproachtotradewith
thirdcountries.
—Importsfromthirdcountriesshouldnotbesubject
toanyrestrictionotherthantheCommonCustoms
Tariff.
—IftheCommunitymarketisunderthreat,import
licensesmayberequested.Theselicenseswillserve
thepurposeofobservingthemarketmoreclosely. (!)OJNoC333,17.12.1992,p.19.

19.4.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC108/43
2.3.2.Quiteapartfromimportsfromthirdcountries,
thisfluctuationofdomesticsuppliesisapermanent
threattothestabilityoftheCommunitypotatomarket.
ThemeasuresproposedbytheCommissiontakeinsuf­
ficientaccountofthisweather-andmarket-induced
instabilityofsupplies.1.5.TheCommissionproposesthattheseprinciples
shouldbeimplementedbythefollowingmeasures:
—Temporary,degressivefinancialsupportforthe
establishmentandoperationofproducerorganiza­
tions,whichcancontributetotheconcentrationof
thesupplyofpotatoesinthefreshstate.
—Inprinciple,importsofpotatoesandpotatoprod­
uctsfromthirdcountriesshouldonlybesubjectto
CommonCustomsTariffduties.
—Provisionforarequirementtoissueimportlicences
ifimportsfromthirdcountriesdisruptthepotato
marketorthreatentodoso.2.3.3.NordoesthedraftRegulationtakesufficient
accountofthelinks—andneedforabalance—between
amarketorganizationforpotatoesandtherecent
reformofthecommonpolicyforotheragricultural
products.
2.3.4.TheCommitteeisafraidthatpotatogrowing
intheCommunitywillbeseverelydistortedbythe
absenceofstructuralmeasuresforthesectorandby
theapplicationofproductioncurbstoanumberof
othermajoragriculturalproducts.Thiswillbeanother
permanentthreattothestabilityofthemarket.1.6.ExpenditurebytheGuidanceSectionofthe
EuropeanAgriculturalGuidanceandGuaranteeFund
(EAGGF)undertheCommissionproposalisestimated
intotalatECU1,5million,spreadoverfivebudget
years.2.3.5.Thisdestabilizingeffectwillbereinforcedby
thedisappearance ,whenacommonmarketorganiza­
tionisintroduced,ofthemarket-regulating measures
currentlyappliedbyanumberofMemberStates.
2.Generalcomments
2.4.TheCommission shouldthereforelaunchan
investigationtodeterminewhichmeasuresforstructur­
ingthepotatomarket,currentlyappliedbytheMember
Statesandcompatiblewiththeaimsandprinciplesof
thecommonmarket,canbetakenoverbythenew
marketorganisationforpotatoes.2.1.TheCommitteeagreeswiththeCommission
onthedesirabilityofintroducingacommonmarket
organizationforpotatoeswithaviewtocompletionof
thesinglemarket—providedthatitmakesthepotato
marketmorestablethanitisatthemoment.Itisin
theinterestsofproducers,theprocessingindustryand
consumersthatthequalityandscaleofpotatopro­
ductionbecloselygearedtomarketrequirements .2.5.Atallevents,theproposedmarketorganization
shouldincludefixed,Community-wide qualitystan­
dardsforpotatoessoldinthefreshstatetothecon­
sumer.
2.2.InprincipletheCommitteeendorsestheaims
andunderlyingprinciplesofthedraftRegulation.But
ithasseriousobjectionstotheminimalistwayinwhich
itisproposedtoimplementtheseprinciples.2.6.TheCommitteeemphasizesthatthemarket
organizationarrangements shouldincludeaCom­
munityscheme,alongthelinesoftheprovisionsregard­
ingthepromotionofnuts[Regulation (EEC)No789/
89—Art.14,sixthindent].
2.3.Theproposedinstruments—i.e.supportforthe
establishmentofproducers'organizationsandimport
licenses—willnotsufficetoachievetheintendedstab­
ilityofthepotatomarketandadecentincomefor
growers.2.6.1.Inparticular,measuresshouldbetakento
encourageconsumptionintheshapeofpromotioncam­
paignsandresearchintonewvarieties,includingexperi­
mentsinadaptationtodifferingsoilandclimaticcon­
ditions,aswellasforindustrialuse.
2.3.1.Incomparisonwithotheragriculturalprod­
ucts,thepotatocropisparticularlyaffectedbythe
weatherandthesupplyofpotatoesontheinternal
Communitymarketconsequentlyvariesfromyearto
year.Theresultisfluctuationsinpricesandtheacreage
devotedtopotatogrowing.2.7.Asregardstradewiththirdcountries,theCom­
missionproposesthatitshouldbepossibletorequire
importlicencesifjustifiedbyimportsfromthird
countriesandmarkettrends.

NoC108/44 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 19.4.93
2.7.1.TheCommitteeconsidersthatthisisinad­
equateandwillnothelptostaveoffmarketdisruption.
2.7.2.Topromotemarkettransparency and
strengthenthemonitoringofmarkettrendsitisnecess­
arytoestablishan'observationpost'whichwillcompile
andpublishstatisticsontrendsintheCommunity
potatomarketandinimportsfromthirdcountries.
2.8.Giventhegreatimportanceofthepotatosector,
theCommitteeconsidersitnecessarytoestablisha
broadly-based consultativecommitteetoadvisethe
CommissionontheimplementingdetailsofaCom­
munitymarketorganization .Article3(l)(a)
3.3.Theestablishmentofproducergroupswillnot
sufficetopromotemarketstabilizationeffectively.
Article3(3)(c)
3.4.'Adequateeconomicactivity'ismuchtoovague
acriterion.Implementation ofthiscriterionmustnot
leadtorelativelysmallproducersinremoteCommunity
regionsbeingexcluded.
TitleU
Article5(2)
3.5.Thewordingshouldbeclarifiedtomakeit
clearerthatinfutureonlytheCommonCustomsTariff
willbeapplied.
Article6
3.6.Inlinewiththecommentsunder2.7.2,theCom­
mitteecallsforestablishmentofapermanent'obser­
vationpost'whichwillrecordandpublishthetrends
ontheCommunitypotatomarketandthetrendsof
importsfromthirdcountries.
TitleIII
Article15
3.7.ThedatewhentheRegulationcomesintoforce
mustbeadapted.3.Specificcomments
TitleI
3.1.AddanArticleprovidingfortheestablishment
offixed,Community-wide qualitystandardsforthe
saleoffreshpotatoestotheconsumer.Suchstandards
shouldapplynotonlytodomesticproductsbutto
Communityimportsaswell
Article3
3.2.ThisArticleshouldapplytoproducersofseed­
potatoesaswellasproducersofpotatoesinthefresh
state.
DoneatBrussels,25February1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN