Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 1308/70 on the common organization of the market in flax and hemp (COM(96)0044 - C4-0169/96 - 96/0063(CNS))

The proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 31)

Recital 2

>Original text>

Whereas, in recent years, there have been sudden, large fluctuations in the market price of fibre and, consequently, of Community areas sown to flax; whereas, in order to promote market stability and to prevent too great an increase in budget expenditure, a maximum guaranteed area should be introduced with a reduction in the level of aid in proportion to any overrun of that area; whereas, given the need for the farmers concerned to adjust to the new system, it should be introduced from the 1997/98 marketing year;

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas, in recent years, there have been sudden, large fluctuations in the market price of fibre and, consequently, of Community areas sown to flax; whereas, in order to promote market stability and to prevent too great an increase in budget expenditure, a maximum guaranteed area should be introduced with a reduction in the level of aid for any overrun of that area such that the sowing of an area larger than the maximum guaranteed area is discouraged; whereas, given the need for the farmers concerned to adjust to the new system, it should be introduced from the 1997/98 marketing year;

(Amendment 32)

Recital 3a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas the use of agricultural products for non-food purposes must be encouraged; whereas fibre plants in particular are especially suitable for this purpose;

(Amendment 33)

ARTICLE 1(2)

Article 4(2)a (Regulation (EEC) No 1308/70)

>Original text>

2a. The aid for flax referred to in paragraph 1 shall be granted for a maximum guaranteed area. That area shall be 81 500 hectares for each marketing year. Where, in a given marketing year, the areas actually sown and harvested exceed the maximum guaranteed area, the aid for that marketing year, where appropriate reduced by the amount referred to in Article 2(3), shall be reduced in each Member State by the percentage of the overrun. The reduction to be applied shall be set in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 12.

>Text following EP vote>

2a. The aid for flax referred to in paragraph 1 shall be granted for a maximum guaranteed area. That area shall be 103 000 hectares for each marketing year. Where, in a given marketing year, the areas actually sown and harvested exceed the maximum guaranteed area, the aid for that marketing year, where appropriate reduced by the amount referred to in Article 2(3), shall be reduced in each Member State by the percentage of the overrun.

Where the overrun of the maximum guaranteed area exceeds a certain threshold percentage special rules shall apply. Provided the threshold percentage is not exceeded the reduction shall be the same in all Member States. Where the threshold percentage is exceeded appropriate additional reductions shall be applied in those Member States where the average area sown for the 1993, 1994 and 1995 harvests has been exceeded. The amount and distribution of any such reductions shall be set in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 12, such that the average weighted reduction corresponds, for the Community as a whole, to the percentage by which the maximum guaranteed area has been overrun.

>Text following EP vote>

The threshold percentage shall be 5% for the marketing years 1997/98, 1998/99 and 1999/2000.

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 1308/70 on the common organization of the market in flax and hemp (COM(96)0044 - C4-0169/96 - 96/0063(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council, COM(96)0044 - 96/0063(CNS) ((OJ C 125, 27.4.1996, p. 20.)),

- having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 43 of the EC Treaty (C4-0169/96),

- 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.