WRITTEN QUESTION E-3565/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Application of the Community cotton scheme in Greece

From 1981 to 2000 the application of the Community cotton scheme in Greece was the responsibility of the Cotton Organisation, which has now been abolished. In the current marketing year, checks are being carried out by the new payment agency, the OPEKEPE, which does not however have a properly structured technical control service. This has led to considerable delays and confusion, and the various checks stipulated by Regulations (EC) Nos 1051/2001(1) and 1591/2001(2) have been called into question.

1. What body or bodies and services have taken over responsilbity for the checks stipulated in Regulation (EC) 1591/2001 (Articles 5 and 13, inter alia)? When were they designated? More specifically, following the abolition of the Cotton Organisation, what body has been made responsible for quality controls on ginned and unginned cotton (cases, length of fibres, moisture content of bales), which are necessary in order to determine the price for unginned cotton and the weight of ginned cotton for which aid is being paid and which require specialised staff, suitable infrastructure (classification facilities, quality control laboratories) and central coordination if they are to be reliable?

2. Has the Commission checked whether the bodies responsible for the various controls relating to the Community cotton scheme are capable of dealing with and prepared for the requirements laid down by Regulations (EC) Nos 1051/2001 and 1591/2001?

3. Has the Commission examined the reliability of the coordination mechanism laid down by Article 13(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1591/2001?

(1) OJ L 148, 1.6.2001, p. 3.

(2) OJ L 201, 3.8.2001, p. 10.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 February 2002)

As the common agricultural policy rules on management of the market organisations for the various products stand, it is not the Commission's business to comment on the internal organisation of the Greek authority responsible for policing Community agricultural subsidies.

Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 of 17 May 1999 on financing of the common agricultural policy(1) requires Member States to inform the Commission now what bodies it has decided to accredit and provide it with information on their operation. It gives the Community a right of scrutiny of the activities of the paying agencies that is exercised in close cooperation with the Member State.

Under the Community rules on the cotton aid scheme applicable from the 2001/2002 marketing year the Commission was officially informed of the reorganisation of policing arrangements to which the Honourable Member refers. The tasks are now assigned to a single paying agency, OPEKEPE, with which the Cotton Organisation has been integrated at both national and regional level.

Obviously with the new structure there is no need for establishment of a system of coordination, as required by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1591/2001 of 2 August 2001 laying down detailed rules for applying the cotton aid scheme(2) where there are several inspection bodies.

In the course of the accounts clearance procedure provided for by Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 the Commission will ensure within the set time limits that the requirements pertaining to the decisions on financial clearance and compliance are met.

(1) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.

(2) OJ L 201, 3.8.2001.