NoC14/22 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 20.1.92
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation(EEC)introducingspecificmeasuresin
respectofcertainagriculturalproductsforthebenefitoftheFrenchoverseasdepartments(*)
(92/C14/10)
On28June1991theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforAgricultureandFisheries,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingtheCom­
mittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon10October1991.TheRapporteurwas
MrOvideEtienne.
Atits290thplenarysession(meetingof30October1991),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionnem.con.withoneabstention.
1.Introduction 2.2.Threecriticismsmaybelevelled:
a)Thecriteriaforaideligibilityshouldbelistedinthe
frameworkRegulationsothatthepotentialimpact
ofeachmeasurecanbeassessed,includinginfinan­
cialterms.
b)Thedurationoftheaid.Theeffectofthemeasures
willonlybefeltoverthemediumorlongterm.It
should,however,bepossibletoamendthe
implementingarrangementsfortworeasons:
—toensurethattheaidremainsfair,
—toadjusttheCommunitymeasurestotheactual
situationofagricultureintheOD.
c)Theneedforresults.Implementation ofthe
measuresprovidedforintheframeworkRegulation
muststimulateproductionandmarketperformance
andnotallowfarmingtobecomeaid-dependent .
Asperformanceismeasurable,Communityfinan­
cingmustbelinkedtoanobligationtoachieve
resultsandtolaydownproceduresforchecking
them.1.1.TheCommissionproposalmarksthefirst
implementation ofthePoseidomprogrammewhichwas
approvedbytheCouncilinDecember1989andwel­
comedbytheCommittee(2).Itspurposeistoprovidea
frameworkRegulationforagriculturalmeasuresunder
thisprogrammetobefinancedbytheGuaranteeSection
oftheEuropeanAgriculturalGuidanceandGuarantee
Fund(EAGGF).
1.2.Theproposedmeasuresformacoherentwhole,
aresignificantinfinancialtermsand,backedby
regionalandnationalmeasures,appropriatetothe
structuraldifficultiesbesettingagricultureintheFrench
overseasdepartments (OD).
1.3.Virtuallyallthemeasureshavebeenurgedfor
severalyearsbyfarmers'andpoliticalrepresentatives
oftheOD.
1.3.1.Thereiseveryreasontobelievethatthevari­
ousprovisionscontainedinthedraftRegulationwill
beappliedwidelyandeffectively.
1.4.Specificallythemeasuresconcernsuppliesof
cereals,thedevelopmentoflivestockfarming,the
improvementofanimalandplanthealth,encourage­
mentfortheproductionandmarketingoffruitand
vegetables,plantsandfloriculturalproductsandsup­
portforthecane/sugar/rumsector.3.Specificcomments
3.1.Aclosewatchmustbekeptonthetimetablefor
theimplementation ofthemeasures.2.Generalcomments
2.1.Severaloftheproposedmeasuresneeddefining
morepreciselyinthelightofthespecificcharacterof
agricultureineachoftheOD.3.2.AnydelayinimplementingtheRegulationwill
penalizethealreadyseverelyhandicappedfarmersof
theOD.
3.2.1.Thisappliestotheorganizationofproduction
andthelocalmarkets,aswellastotheacquisitionof
newexportoutlets.(!)OJNoC149,8.6.1991,p.6.
(2)OJNoC159,26.6.1989,p.56.

20.1.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC14/23
3.2.2.Furthermore ,theprovisionslaiddownin
Article19shouldestablishadynamiclinkbetweenthe
creationofagraphicsymbolandproductquality.
3.3.WithoutdelayingapprovaloftheRegulation,
somedraftingamendmentsarecalledforinrespectof
Articles2and5andsomecommentsonArticles4,6,
12and14andTitleIV.
3.3.1.Article2
TheCommitteeproposesthatthesecondparagraph
readasfollows:
'Intheabsenceofsuppliesfrom,inthefirstinstance,
theoverseascountriesandterritoriesorfromthe
African,CaribbeanandPacificStates(ACP),the
levyexemptionforcerealsmaybeextendedtosup­
pliesfromotherthirdcountries.'
3.3.2.Article5
TheCommitteeproposesthatthisArticlebedraftedas
follows:
'Aidshallbegrantedtoencouragethefatteningof
cattle,withinthelimitoftheconsumptionneedsof
theODassessedonthebasisofdataprovidedby
theFrenchauthorities .
SuchfatteningaidrepresentsasupplementofECU
40perheadtothespecialpremiumprovidedfor
inArticle4aofRegulation (EEC)No805/68;the
supplementmaybegrantedinrespectofananimal
ofaminimumweighttobedeterminedinaccord­
ancewiththeprocedurelaiddowninArticle8.
Actingonproposalsfromtheappropriatetrade
organizations ,theFrenchauthoritiesshallfixa
minimumthresholdforthenumberofanimalsper
farmqualifyingforthepremiums.
Thisthresholdmaybeupdatedinthelightofthe
resultsobtainedintheimplementation ofthis
measure.'3.3.3.Article4
Itmustbepossibletoadjustthetermsoftheaidfor
thesupplyofbreedinganimalsoverthecourseoftime
soastohavesomecontroloncethemajorneedshave
beensatisfied.
3.3.4.Article6
Itshouldbeclearlystatedthatthisconcernsfresh
dairyproductsforhumanconsumption ;alistofsuch
productsshouldbedrawnupinaCommissionRegu­
lation.
3.3.5.Article12
Bearinginmindthestructureoflandownershipinthe
WestIndiesandReunion,itshouldbeclearlystated
thattheminimumareaof0,5hamustbeallinone
block.
3.3.6.Article14
Vigilanceisneededastothetypeofeconomicoperator
andastowhenthevolumetransactionsbyproductand
destinationwerecarriedout.
3.3.7.TitleIV
Forthismeasuretobeeffectiveandnotloseitsway,
implementation oftheagro-industrial modernization
andfarmmechanizationprogrammesmustbespeeded
up.
3.4.Thesetofmeasuresprovidedforintheframe­
workRegulationmustbebackedupby:
a)training[EuropeanSocialFund(ESF)];
b)investment (EAGGF—Guidance)soastoensure
thesmoothdevelopmentandintegrationintothe
ECofODagriculture.
DoneatBrussels,30October1991.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
FrancoisSTAEDELIN