AnswergivenbyMrFischleronbehalfoftheCommission
(1August2003)
Article11ofCouncilRegulation(EC)No1257/1999onsupportforruraldevelopmentfromtheEuropean
AgriculturalGuidanceandGuaranteeFund(EAGGF)andamendingandrepealingcertainRegulations(1)
providesthat,tobeeligibleforearlyretirement,thetransferorofafarmmuststopallcommercialfarmingactivitycompletely.Thetransfereeofthefarmmustsucceedthetransferorastheheadoftheagriculturalholdingortakeoverallorpartofthelandreleased.
The procedure for transferring rural tenancies is the responsibility of the Member States and is not
governedbytheruraldevelopmentRegulationnorbyanyotherCommunityRegulation.
ItistruethatthenationallegislationtowhichtheHonourableMemberrefers(PortariaNo99/2001of
16January2001)requirestheruralleasetobecancelled,butitgivestheownerofthelandtheoptionofsigninganewleasewiththeoriginaltenant’sdescendants.
(1) OJL160,26.6.1999.
(2004/C58E/150) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2128/03
byBartStaes(Verts/ALE)totheCommission
(25June2003)
Subject:Beveragewhichreducesbloodalcohollevels/dashBOBinformationcampaigns
In its communication IP/02/1762, the Commission states that it is spending EUR1,1 million on
campaignsagainstdrinkinganddrivinginsevenEUMemberStates.Itacknowledgesthat,ofthe40000peoplekilledonEurope’sroadseachyear,onethirdarevictimsofdrinkinganddriving.Inordertodosomethingaboutthis,theCommissionissubsidisingthe‘Euro-BOB’campaigninanumberofEUMemberStates.
AbeveragehasrecentlycomeontothemarketwhichiscalledOutox,producedbyLifestyleDrinksNV,
andwhich,itisclaimed,canveryquicklyreducethelevelofalcoholinthebloodandwillalsorenderthenextday’shangoverlesssevere.Theimpressionisgiven,attheveryleast,thatdriverscandrinkalcoholtoexcessandyet,afterdrinkingOutox,againbecome‘sober’enoughtodriveavehicle.FlemishresearchersconsideritverydoubtfulthatOutoxcanhavethiseffect.
IstheCommissionawareoftheexistenceofOutox,andhasithadanycheckscarriedoutastowhether
thisbeveragereallydoesreducebloodalcohollevels?
InthelightoftheBOBcampaigns,doestheCommissionconsideritappropriatetoplacebeveragesonthe
marketwhichreducebloodalcohollevels?Ifnot,whatwillitdotoprotectconsumers/drivers?
AretheBOBcampaignsinvariousMemberStateshavingthedesiredeffectofreducingthenumberof
peoplekilledorinjuredontheroadsspecificallyasaresultofalcoholconsumption?
WhatadditionaleffortswilltheCommissionmaketofurtherreducethenumberofpeoplekilledorinjured
ontheroadsduetoexcessiveconsumptionofalcohol?
AnswergivenbyMsdePalacioonbehalfoftheCommission
(9September2003)
TheCommissiondoesnothaveanyinformationonthedrinkmentionedbytheHonourableMember.In
anyevent,itistheresponsibilityoftheMemberStateinwhichtheproductisbeingadvertisedtochecktheaccuracyoftheinformationprovidedbythesupplier.Thisisespeciallyimportantinthiscase,asalcohol-relatedroadaccidentsareaseriouspublichealthproblemrequiringspecialattentionfromtheauthoritiesbecauseofthesufferingtheycause.C58E/134 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
On27May2003theCommissionheldaseminartoassesstheeffectivenessofthe‘Designateddriver’
campaigns,suchastheBOBcampaigninBelgium.Summariesofthepresentationsmadeattheseminarcan be found at (http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/road/roadsafety/behaviour/alcohol/conf_desig-nated_drivers_en.htm).
Inordertowork,thecampaignsmustbesupportedbythepoliceandpromotedbyplayersontheground
suchasbars,petrolstations,etc.Therecanbeasharpdropinthenumberofalcohol-relatedaccidentsduringthistypeofcampaign.
ThenumberofaccidentscausedbyexcessivealcoholconsumptionisfallingintheEU.Inordertoreduce
thefigurefurther,andinlinewithitsrecommendationof17January2001onthemaximumpermittedbloodalcoholcontentfordriversofmotorisedvehicles,theCommissionhastakenactiononseveralfronts:increasing and improving roadside checks, driver training, research (for example into the use of
immobiliserswhereadriver’sBAClevelistoohigh),therehabilitationofhabitualoffendersandsupport
forawareness-raisingcampaigns.
(2004/C58E/151) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2132/03
byChristopherHuhne(ELDR)totheCommission
(26June2003)
Subject:Industrialcrops
1. WilltheCommissionreconsideritsproposaltodisallowthegrowingofindustrialandenergycrops
onset-asideland?
2. Willitdetailnewtechniqueswhichwouldenableittobereassuredthatlandsousedcannotbe
broughtintotheproductionoffoodenjoyinganyCAPsubsidy?
3. Does the Commission agree that the decoupling of production and income support should in
principleremovetheneedforanyrestrictionsontheuseoflandsuchasset-aside?
AnswergivenbyMrFischleronbehalfoftheCommission
(4August2003)
Duringthedebatesonthesequestions,theMemberoftheCommissionresponsibleforAgricultureand
Fisheries indicated to the Council on Agriculture and Fisheries of 8April 2003 the Commission’swillingnesstoexaminethepossibilitytoreturntorotationalset-asideandgrowingcropsintendedfornon-fooduseinsofarascontrolproblemsaresettled.ThefinalpoliticalcompromiseadoptedbytheCouncilon26June2003confirmsthecontinuationofthenon-foodset-asidesystem,asaconsequencethegrowingofindustrialandenergycropsinset-asidelandwillbepossible.
Theset-asidelandusedforindustrialandenergycropswillcontinuetoreceivetheCommonAgricultural
Policy (CAP) subsidy. The current controls applied on the non-food set-aside system avoid, in theCommission’sopinion,theriskoffraud.TheCommissiondoes,however,intendtosimplifythecurrentcontrolsystemwhenimplementingthereform.
Theset-asidewascreatedasamarketregulationinstrument,thereforetheproductionofrenewableraw
materialsisnotitsprincipalaim.Thedecouplingofproductionandincomesupportdoesnotchangewith
respecttothisfirstobjective.Anyrestrictionsontheuseofset-asidelandwillcontinuetoapply.6.3.2004EN C58E/135 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion