WRITTEN QUESTION E-0034/02

by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(23 January 2002)

Subject: Cut in support for oilseeds

The Commissioner responsible for agriculture and fisheries, Franz Fischler, recently announced that, as provided for during the CAP reform, aid paid for oilseeds would be brought into line with that for cereals, which means a 40 % cut in support for rape and sunflower seeds and soya beans.

In Italy, a cut of this magnitude in Community aid would result in a reduction of between 30 and 60 % in oilseed growing, with the attendant risk of an environment-friendly farming method (crop rotation) gradually disappearing. Furthermore, the cut is badly timed, given that the ban on meat and bonemeal has generated a strong demand from livestock farmers for vegetable-protein feedingstuffs. The end result would be an increase in imports of such feedingstuffs, many of which would probably come from genetically-modified crops.

1. Given the above, would the Commission not agree that there is a real risk of meat and bonemeal simply being replaced by genetically-modified products of doubtful origin?

2. Does it have any idea of the huge financial losses which such a cut in aid would entail for Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French farmers?

3. Would it not agree that economic measures of this kind are a hindrance to efforts to maintain product quality?

4. Is it aware of the fact that a move away in the production of oilseeds and protein seeds will lead to an increase in cereals production and, thereby, cereals quotas being overshot?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(14 February 2002)

1. At the Council's request the Commission in March 2001 analysed on supply and demand for protein-rich plants in the Union following the bovine spongiform encephalopathy crisis(1).

It found that there was no major problem over replacing protein from animal meals by plant protein. The best source of plant protein for this purpose was soya cake. The additional quantities needed can be imported without infringing existing Community and international law. The genetically modified varieties of soya in question are authorised under Council Directive 90/220/CEE of 23 April 1990 on deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms(2).

2. and 3. The decision that from the 2001/2002 marketing year aid on oilseeds should be equal to that on cereals ( 63/t) was taken at the Berlin European Summit in 1999. It was one of the main planks of the Agenda 2000 reform for achieving greater orientation to the market.

Moreover equalisation of the aid frees farmers from the Blair House Agreement constraints on the maximum area for which a specific oilseed aid can be given.

Nor does it involve any modification of the quality standards that farmers must meet if they are to receive Community area-linked aid. For oilseeds this is granted only on varieties with low glucosinolate and erucic acid contents.

4. Any replacement of oilseeds by cereals would have no impact on base area overshoots. These are calculated for the entire arable crop area on which area-linked aid is given, i.e. the area sown to cereals, oilseeds, protein crops, flax and hemp plus the area taken out of production in set-aside.

(1) COM(2001) 148/final/2.

(2) OJ L 117, 8.5.1990.