WRITTEN QUESTION E-3929/00

by Béatrice Patrie (PSE) to the Commission

(13 December 2000)

Subject: Non-food use of agricultural products

The development of non-food uses for renewable agricultural products is at present an area of vast potential for the EU. It would make it possible to cut our CO2 emissions at a stroke, reduce our dependence on oil, and reduce Europe's deficit in vegetable proteins. Above all it would make it possible to replace vast quantities of pollutant products of mineral origin by products of vegetable origin (lubricants, solvents, inks, bio-fuels, pesticides, etc.) which have the advantage of being biodegradable, non-toxic and renewable.

Yet it is clear that Agenda 2000 has neglected this sector. Furthermore, although the Commission has already taken initiatives to develop non-food uses of renewable resources, these suffer from the lack of a global strategy and coordination between the various directorates-general concerned.

The Committee of the Regions, in its opinion 2000/C226/06, and a considerable number of economic and social representatives from the renewable resources sector, recently called on the Commission to set up an in-house non-food task force that would make it possible to gain a strategic vision of the subject and pursue a consistent policy.

How will the Commission respond to this request from both the Committee of the Regions and representatives of the sector concerned? Will it set up this task force in the short or medium term? Are the relevant departments considering proposals for regulations on the non-food uses of products of vegetable origin?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(7 February 2001)

The Commission does not at present consider it appropriate or useful to set up a special non-food task force. In the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol signed in December 1997 stipulates that progress must be made by 2005 on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors of the economy. The Community is committed to an 8 % reduction in emissions (compared to 1990 levels) during the period 2008-2012.

With a view to meeting those commitments, the Commission adopted the European Climate Change Programme through its communication on policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions(1). In that communication, the Commission recommended setting up thematic working groups covering all priority sectors of the economy. A group specific to agriculture has already been set up, as has another on forest issues. The working groups' membership is drawn from all the sectors concerned and comprises Commission representatives, experts from Member States, and representatives from industry and trade associations. The topics discussed include renewable energy and hence non-food uses of agricultural products.

The groups' purpose is therefore to identify and develop the most important aspects of the various Community policies needed to implement the Kyoto Protocol. The results of the thematic groups' work could form the basis for specific Commission proposals on the various policies. TheSE could include adjustments or amendments to Community legislation with the aim of reducing greenhouse gases.

The Permanent Group on renewable energy which the Commission set up in 1999 has provided a platform for industry, producers and trade associations to exchange information with the Commission departments on a regular basis.

The results of Agenda 2000 marked another important step towards bringing prices for primary agricultural products more into line with world market prices. On the supply side, primary agricultural products including cereals and oilseeds are consequently available at competitive prices for non-food (including energy) uses.

It is difficult to do more under the common agricultural policy given existing constraints, mainly at World Trade Organisation (WTO) and budget level. If from the energy and environmental policy viewpoint using primary agricultural products as a renewable resource is considered a priority, the disparity between prices for processed primary agricultural products and prices for competing fossil products should be reduced through tax measures as already proposed by the Commission (the Schrivener proposal) and set out in the Green Paper on security of energy supply(2).

Agenda 2000 also confirmed a 10 % reference rate for set-aside. Article 6(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999 of 17 May 1999 establishing a support system for producers of certain arable crops(3) provides irrespective of payment under that system that land set aside may be used for the provision of materials for the manufacture within the Community of products not primarily intended for human or animal consumption, provided that effective control systems are applied. Detailed rules for the application of that Regulation are laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2461/1999(4). About 20 % (up to 1 million hectares) of set-aside land has been used under the scheme. Industry has been able to take advantage of highly competitive prices for primary agricultural products in order to develop new markets.

Community support for rural development also provides for promoting non-food uses of agricultural products. The rural development plans for 2000-2006 which Member States have drawn up and submitted for approval to the Commission thus include within the framework of support for investment on holdings, processing and marketing agricultural products, or promoting and developing rural areas aid measures for using biomass.

In the context of state aid for environmental protection, the Commission has also approved specific (inter alia tax and regulatory) measures to promote energy-saving and renewable forms of energy.

(1) COM(2000) 88 final.

(2) COM(2000) 769 final.

(3) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.

(4) Commission Regulation (EC) No 2461/1999 of 19.11.1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999 as regards the use of land set aside for the production of raw materials for the manufacture within the Community of products not intended for direct human or animal consumption (OJ L 299, 20.11.1999).