30.12,93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC352/29
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)concerningspecificmeasures
fordriedgrapes(l)
93/C352/07)
On29July1993,theCouncildecidedto,consulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforAgricultureandFisheries,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingtheCom­
mittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon13October1993.TheRapporteurwas
MrGardner.
Atits309thPlenarySession(meetingof20October1993),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
1.GeneralComments tocompetemoreeffectivelywiththeproduceofAus­
tralia,SouthAfrica,TurkeyandtheUnitedStates.
1.9.However,inadditiontothisprogramme,the
Commissionshouldhelpwiththeimprovementof
transportinfrastructure intheremoterregions.Such
improvementwouldhelpingettingthedriedgrapesto
themarketinoptimumcondition.1.1.Theorganizationofthemarketindriedgrapes
isbeingchanged.Intervention isbeinglimitedto
27000tonnesperyearandproductionaidreplacedby
ahectaragepayment.The4-yeartransitiontothenew
systemcomestoanendon31August1994.
1.2.Whentheneworganization wasadopted,
Councilagreedtoimplementmeasuresconcerningpro­
motion,occupationaltraining,theimprovementof
storageconditionsandresearchinthesector.
1.3.Duringthelifeoftheregimewhichisbeing
superseded,consumptionofcurrantsinwhichtheCom­
munityisself-sufficient ,declinedfrom46600tonnesin
1982to27800tonnesin1992.2.Detailedcomments
2.1.Articles1(a)and1(c)
2.1.1.TheCommitteesupportstheCommission's
approachofimplementing arangeofmeasuresto
imporveproductconservation ,processingandpresen­
tationandtosecuremoreefficienttransportconditions.
2.1.2.Morespecifically,attentionshouldfocuson
introducingup-to-datetechnologyaimedatcuttingpro­
ductioncosts,improvingqualityandintroducingmore
rationalandadvancedmethodsforgrapeharvesting,
cleaning,selection,drying,packingandpackaging.
2.1.3.Driedraisinprocessingplantsshouldhave
adequatelaboratoryfacilities,toenablepackingcom­
paniestocheckinitialproductcompliancewithgiven
qualitycriteria.Clearly,however,finalproductcheck­
ingandcertificationcannotbelefttoprivateoperators.
2.2.Article1(d)and(e)
2.2.1.Thismustincludearrangements forfeeding
backtofirststageproducersoftheneedsofincreasingly
tightlegalrequirements intheusingcountriesandin
particular,theadvicefromofficialinspectionofficials
onthestandardstowhichfoodisnowinspected.
2.3.Article1(e)1.4.Duringthesametime,consumptionofsultanas
andraisinsrosefrom184000tonnesin1982to221500
tonnesin1992buttheGreeksshareofthistotalfell
from19.2%to11.3%oftheCommunitymarket.
1.5.Thenon-Community originsofdriedgrapes
whichhavegainedmarketsharehavedonesoona
basisofconsistencyofqualityandofgreatercleanliness.
1.6.Achievingworldcommercialstandardswould
greatlyassisttheresumptionofexportsforGreekdried
grapesaswellassalesintheEC.
1.7.Thisisparticularlyimportantbecause
replantingofvinesinGreecewillleadtodoublingof
theoutputofGreeksultanasbytheendofthisdecade.
1.8.Subjecttothedetailedcomments,theCom­
mitteethereforestronglywelcomestheproposalfor
thesemeasureswhichwillhelpCommunityproducers
(i)OJNoC211,5.8.1993,p.20.2.3.1.Aspartoftheinformationprogrammethe
Commissionshouldsetupachannelforexchanging

NoC352/30 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 30.12.93
qualityinspectioninformationbetweenproducersand
usersofdriedfruit.Thiscouldtransmitbackthevolume
andnatureofunwantedforeignmatterfoundinCom­
munityfruitaswellasthesameinformationforfruit
fromotheroriginsforinformation .Thiswouldenable
theECproducerstomonitorprogressonquality
improvement .
2.3.2.TheCommitteefirmlybelievesthatnational
orCommunity-level productqualitycontrolsshould
becarriedoutbypublicbodies,whoshouldalsobe
responsibleforcertification .2.4.Article2(1)
2.4.1.TheCommisisonwillprovidespecialsupport
fortheimplementation ofoccupational training
measures .
2.4.2.Inthecontextofaneconomicstrategydesign­
edtoboosttheproduct'scompetitiveness ,occupational
trainingassumesparticularimportance .
2.4.3.TheCommitteeconsidersthatthismeasure
shouldbekeptseparatefromtheothers,andshouldbe
coveredbyadistinctbudgetline,withtheprovisothat
managementoftherelevantresourcesshouldbedirectly
supervisedbytheCommission .
3.Annex
3.1.Asidefromthepointsalreadymadeabove,the
totalofMECU9.6isinsufficientandisbelowthe
amountproposedbytheCouncilDocument7479of25
June1990.TheCommitteeisveryconsciousofthe
financialconstraintswithintheCAPbudgetbutcon­
sidersincreasingthetotaltothatdiscussedbythe
Councilwouldbemoneyspentverycost-effectively .2.3.3.Academicresearchiscloselyassociatedwith
theproductionofdriedgrapesinotherproducing
countries.TheCommissionshouldpromotetheestab­
lishmentofasuitableuniversitydepartmentforthis
purpose.Fundsforthisshouldofcoursecomefrom,
oneoftheCommunityRD&cTbudgetsandnotfrom
thisone.
DoneatBrussels,20October1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN