19.4.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC108/41
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation(EEC)introducingadiversificationand
developmentprogrammeforcertainbanana-producing countriesinLatinAmerica
(93/C108/12)
On26January1993,theEconomicandSocialCommitteedecided,inaccordancewithArticle
20(4)oftheRulesofProcedure,todrawupanOpinionontheabovementioned proposal.
TheEconomicandSocialCommitteedecidedtoappointMrOvideEtienneRapporteur-
General,withthetaskofpreparingitsworkonthesubject.
Atits303rdPlenarySession(meetingof25February1993),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionbyalargemajority,withnovotescastagainst
andeightabstentions .
TheCommitteeendorsestheCommissionproposal
subjecttothefollowingcomments.2.2.ThemethodadvocatedbytheCommissionisto
diversifyproduction.
1.Introduction
1.1.TheCommissionproposalfollowsthesetting­
upofthecommonmarketorganization (CMO)inthe
bananasector.3.Generalprovisions
3.1.Thediversificationprogrammeisplannedtolast
fiveyears.
3.2.Itformspartofthepolicyofco-operation
betweentheCommunityandtheLatinAmerican
countries.1.2.Itconcernstheintroductionofadiversification
programmetobenefitbanana-producing countriesin
LatinAmerica.
3.3.Eligiblemeasuresconcern:
—feasibilityofprojects,
—implementation ofprojects,
—materialresources,and
—humanresources.1.3.TheproposalreflectstheCommission'spolitical
commitment tofleshoutthebananaCMOwith
measurestomeettherisksrunbytheLatinAmerican
countries,namely:
—financialdifficultiesforcountrieswhichrelyheavily
onbananaexports,
—anincreaseindrug-trafficking .3.4.Europeanparticipationisintendedtotakethe
formofsubsidies,specialloansoracombinationofthe
two.Aspecificbudgetitemwillhavetobecreatedin
acorrectiontothe1993budget.
3.5.TheCommissionintendstoseekthehelpof
localpublicorprivatebodiestoensurethesuccessof
theprogramme.
4.Specificcomments2.Internalarrangements
2.1.Theaimsareto:
—reducethedependenceofthecountriesconcerned
onalimitednumberofexportproducts,particularly
bananas,
—strengthenco-operationbetweentheCommunity
andtheLatinAmericancountriesconcerned,
—cushionthenegativeeffectsonthesecountriesof
thesetting-upofthebananaCMO;and,byso
doing;
—forestallanyeffectsofthebananaCMOondrug­
trafficking.4.1.Article4
Article4(2)shouldbesupplementedwithmeasures
eligibleatthemarketingstage-bothintheorganization
oflocalandinterregionalmarketsandinthefindingof
newexportoutlets.

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.