EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 65/2

(2004/C 65 E/002)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0761/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 March 2002)

Subject: Compensation for farmers

The Greek press reports that a farmer in the village of Theopetra in the Kalambaka district of Trikkala province in Greece was astonished to discover that the compensation approved by ELGA (the Greek farmers' insurance organisation) for the destruction of her crops by hailstone amounted to the astronomical sum of EUR 1,16.

Does the Commission provide Greece with funds for use as compensation in the event of natural disasters? Is provision made in the EU budget reserve for natural disasters and in the annual expenditure on agriculture? If so, how much do those appropriations amount to? Does the Commission have any information concerning the manner in which Greece administers those appropriations? What is the Commission's view of the paltry amount of compensation received by the Greek farmer above? Are there minimum amounts of compensation in such cases? Have there been similar cases in other Member States?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(18 April 2002)

Following the question of the Honourable Member, the Commission took note and considered the question of the particularly low compensation approved by ELGA (Greek Farmer's Insurance Organisation) in one specific case in the village Theopetra, Kalambaka District-Trikallon.

ELGA is not a final beneficiary of the relevant Community measure for compensation in the case of natural disasters, which is a possible action foreseen under the ‘National Operational Programme — Rural Development (2000-2006)’. ELGA is financed by its members who are individual farmers. National legislation, procedures and thresholds apply. On the basis of the existing Community regulatory framework, national aid schemes are only notified to the Commission for approval in order to avoid market distortions. Therefore, the Commission is not entitled to comment on the amount and the procedures applied in this particular case.

The relevant Community contribution is provided through the ‘National Operational Programme — Rural Development (2000-2006)’ which includes a specific measure for the compensation of farmers after natural disasters. However, the financial compensation for the affected rural population can only cover the reconstitution of the production potential lost and not the income losses as is the case in the specific case in Theopetra, Kalambaka District-Trikallon. The final beneficiary for this measure is the Directorate PSEA (Policy Planning in Case of Urgent Needs) of the Greek Ministry of agriculture. The Community regulatory framework applies for the programming, implementation and controls of the specific measure.

If the scheduled amounts cannot be sufficient to overcome major problems of the Greek rural areas, additional Community financial grants can be taken from the total appropriations of the 3rd Community Support Framework for Greece (2000-2006) including its programming reserve. No other special Community funds or Community compensations can be provided. Similar regulatory framework applies for all Member States.