(2004/C58E/079) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1368/03
byJoanVallvé(ELDR)totheCommission
(11April2003)
Subject:Increaseinaidforhazelnutproducers
The production of nuts in certain European Union areas is a typical example of single-crop and
multifunctional production. The zone given over to their production provides a guarantee of landconservationandpreventionoferosionandalsohelpstosafeguardagainsttheforestfiresthatareoneofthemostcommondangersinmountainousMediterraneanareas,particularlyduringthelongandinmanycasesdrysummerseason.Thisseasonisoneofhightemperaturesand,atthesametime,analmosttotallackofrainfall.
Itwouldbeverydifficultforalternativecropstobegrownintheareaswherehazelnutsarecurrently
produced. The fact should not be overlooked that some of the areas now given over to hazelnutproduction were wine-producing areas in the 18th Century, before the phylloxera outbreak whichdevastated the vineyards ofCataloniain the lastdecadesofthat century. A large part ofthe formervineyards were replanted with hazelnuts. The EU rules currently applicable to vines (Regulation (EC)No1493/1999(
1))makeanyreversiontothepre-phylloxerascenariounviable.
Neither would it be possibleto envisage replanting these production areas with oil crops, and more
specificallyolives,giventheirlatitudeandclimate,andalsothecurrentCommunityrulesonoliveoil
production(Regulation(EC)No1873/2002(2)).
Lastly,theintroductionofcerealcrops,whichcouldsubstitutefortheproductionofhazelnutsinareas
wheretheseweregrownonflatland,wouldnotbepossibleinviewofRegulation(EEC)1766/92(3).
Inviewofthemultifunctionalnatureofhazelnutproductionandthedifficultyofreplacingitwithother
typesofproduction,doestheCommissionnotconsiderthataformofaidshouldbeintroducedwhichgoesbeyondthatcurrentlyenvisagedintheCommissionproposalCOM(2003)23final?
(1) OJL179,14.7.1999,p.1.
(2) OJL284,22.10.2002,p.1.
(3) OJL181,1.7.1992,p.21.
AnswergivenbyMrFischleronbehalfoftheCommission
(16May2003)
AspreviouslyexplainedtotheHonourableMemberinthereplymadebytheCommissiontohisWritten
QuestionE-0295/03(1),theCommission,beforedoingitsproposal(2),carriedoutaglobalanalysisofthe
Communitynutsector.TheresultsmakeaclearpointonthefactthatnutproductionintheCommunityremains chronically non-competitive overall, while playing a fundamental part in protecting andmaintainingtheenvironmental,socialandruralbalanceinmanyregions.
Therefore, the Commission shares the Honourable Member’s point of view on the strategic and
multifunctional role that nut production has still to play in maintaining the environment and thelandscape. Consequently, the proposalsubmittedto the Council and the Parliament represents a newregime,putforwardasamarketmeasure,whilecontainingastrong‘ruraldevelopment’aspect.
Asfarasthebudgetisconcerned,thefiguresproposedofEUR80millionreflectthewilltoensurebudget
neutrality with the current Community expenditure on improvement plans: the Community spentEUR970millionin12years.Itisforeseentocoveralargepartoftheproductivearea,whichhasbeenestimatedat800000hectares(ha).ThisexplainsthelevelofEUR100perhectarefortheCommunitypart.6.3.2004EN C58E/61 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
TheCommissionproposedasinglelevelofsupportbyhectare,takingintoconsiderationanumberof
elements:
/dash needforsimplicityandeaseofuse;/dash themainreasonforsupportisthemultifunctionalroleofnuts.Itisdifficulttoarguethatdifferent
typeofnuts(almondsorhazelnuts,forexample)contributedifferentlytothisrole.
TheproposaloftheCommissiongivesasubstantialhelptowardsachievingenvironmentalandruralgoals
ensuringthecontinuationofsustainableproductioninnon-competitiveand,atthesametime,givesatargetedsupportforcompetitiveproduction.
Therefore,theCommissiondoesnothavetheintentionatthisstagetomakesubstantialmodificationsto
itsinitialproposal.
(1) OJC192E,14.8.2003,p.167.
(2) COM(2003)23final.
(2004/C58E/080) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1374/03
byBartStaes(Verts/ALE)totheCommission
(15April2003)
Subject:(Illegal)timberusedforbuildingstohousetheEuropeanCommission
TheEuropeanCommissionwillcommunicateaproposalforanEUactionplanintheframeworkofForest
LawEnforcement,GovernanceandTrade(FLEGT).Oneoftheissuesintheactionplanwillbepublicprocurement.TheCommissionoccupiesmanybuildingsinBrusselsandshouldassumeitsresponsibilitytoensurethatnotimberfromillegalsourcesisbeingused.
CantheCommissiongivemealistofbuildingsoccupiedbytheCommission,withdetailsoftheowners
foreachofthebuildings,detailsofalltherefurbishment,redevelopmentandnewbuildingoverthelastfiveyearsorprojectedtostartinthenextsixmonths,detailsofhowtheCommissionchecksthecontracts,details of contractors and subcontractors and in particular the companies that are providing theircontractorsandsubcontractorswithtimberandwoodproducts?
AnswergivenbyMrKinnockonbehalfoftheCommission
(19June2003)
SafeguardsareinplacetoensurethatbuildingsprocuredbytheCommissiondonotcontaintimbersfrom
illegalsources.WherefittingoutofnewbuildingsandrefurbishmentofexistingbuildingsareexecutedonbehalfoftheCommissiontheyarecarriedoutstrictlyinaccordancewithBelgianlegislativerequirementsincludingtheprohibitionofcertainmaterials.
Inaddition,andsubjecttothetechnicalparticularsofaproject,compliancewiththerequirementsof
‘ImmeubleType’isalsosought.ThisdocumentistheCommission’sstandardspecificationforbuildingsandsetsoutthestandardsforqualityofspace,useofmaterialsandqualityoftechnicalinstallations.
According tothe current version ‘Improvedforestry-management practices canonlybe encouraged if
invitationstotenderspecifythatwoodmustcomefromforestryoperationswheretherulesofsustainabledevelopmentarefollowed’.
IncircumstanceswheretheCommissioncaninfluencethemarketinrespectofbuildingsitislikelyto
acquire,suchastherenovationoftheBerlaymont,itmakesanexplicitrequirementtothedevelopertoprocuretimberonlyfromsustainablesources.CompliancewiththerequirementsofImmeubleTypeismonitored by the technical staff of the Office for Infrastructures and Logistics /dash Brussels. The finalacceptanceofworkscarriedoutunderbuildingcontractsisconditionaluponthereceiptofdocumentaryevidenceofcompliancewithlegislativeandcontractualrequirements.C58E/62 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion