WRITTEN QUESTION E-3179/97 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (13 October 1997)

Subject: Support for wine growing on the small Mediterranean islands

The 2nd Symposium on the wines of the small islands of the Mediterranean, held on Santorini on 5-6 July 1997, noted that wine growing on those islands was in danger of dying out because of economic changes and the abandonment of the countryside, which have a direct and significant bearing on environmental protection.

Old indigenous varieties are grown on these small islands which help to maintain biodiversity and the international variety of wines; the wines produced are of high quality and there is no alternative crop that could replace the vine. Would the Commission, therefore, say what steps it will take to introduce special, favourable legislation and what protective and developmental measures it will take to deal with the extremely serious situation in wine growing on the small islands of the Mediterranean?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (18 November 1997)

In addition to the general market support and management arrangements for wine and wine-growing financed by the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), Guarantee Section, special options exist at Community level for wine and wine-growing on the small Mediterranean islands in the form of a number of specific measures. Thus, these islands in Greece are exempt from the scope of Regulation (EEC) No 1442/88 on the granting, for the 1988/89 to 1995/96 wine years, of permanent abandonment premiums in respect of wine-growing areas ((OJ L 132, 28.5.1988. )).

Under Regulation (EC) No 951/97 ((OJ L 142, 2.6.1997. )) investments in the processing and marketing of agricultural products can be financed by the EAGGF Guidance Section if their purpose is to restructure groups of companies' processing capacity, protect the environment, promote organic wine-growing, improve quality control or reduce wine yields in order to facilitate the restructuring of the sector.

Assistance can also be granted under Structural Fund operational programmes, as in the case of measures to promote quality wines produced in a specified region (Quality wines psr) recently included in the regional operational programme for the northern Aegean islands by its Monitoring Committee.

Council Regulation (EEC) No 2019/93 of 19 July 1993 introducing specific measures for the smaller Aegean islands concerning certain agricultural products ((OJ L 184, 2.7.1993. )) provides for aid to be granted for the ageing of locally produced liqueur wines for a minimum of two years, as well as aid per hectare for the maintenance of wine-growing to produce quality wines psr. This aid is of key importance in the continuation of this traditional activity on the islands.

Aid can also be granted for agri-environmental measures for wine-growing on the small islands under Council Regulation (EEC) No 2078/92 of 30 June 1992 on agricultural production methods compatible with the requirements of the protection of the environment and the maintenance of the countryside ((OJ L 215, 30.7.1992. )).

It is also worth mentioning the applied research project introduced under the Community initiative Interreg II/external borders, which aims at improving the genetic material of vines and the production of high quality wine. This project involves research bodies on Crete and several other Aegean islands, and Cyprus for certain aspects of cross-border cooperation regarding the exchange of know-how.

The measures described above show the Commission's concern for the survival, modernisation, restructuring and structural adaptation of wine-growing on the small Mediterranean islands. The Commission hopes that its concern satisfies the Honourable Member.