WRITTEN QUESTION P-1072/00

by Salvador Jové Peres (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(29 March 2000)

Subject: Reform of the system of aid for cotton

Under Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1553/95(1), before the start of the 1999/2000 marketing year the Commission is required to present a report on the operation of the system of aid for cotton and to submit a reform proposal only if the report shows it to be necessary. However, the Commission has submitted a reform proposal directly without first presenting a report. In its explanatory memorandum, the Commission acknowledges that this requirement was partly anticipated mldr by the Report from the Commission to the Council on Greek requests in the cotton sector (COM(1998) 10 final). Nonetheless it states that the said report does not in any way replace the report provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1553/95 and consequently cannot be regarded as an investigation of the economy of the sector in general.

Despite the fact that Protocol 4 annexed to the Act of Accession of Greece to the Community recognises its specifically agricultural nature, cotton has never been listed in Annex II of the Treaty and is thus excluded from the majority of horizontal measures under the CAP. For instance, cotton is not covered by the environmental and rural development measures adopted with Agenda 2000 or the general regulations on producer groups. Given the status of cotton under the CAP as a whole, it would be advisable to offset the inadequacies in the regulations governing it in the report provided for under Regulation (EC) No 1553/95.

Why has the Commission not presented the report required under Regulation (EC) No 1553/95 prior to submitting its reform proposal? Is it aware of its failure to honour obligations set out in a Council Regulation? Does it still intend to present the report in question and amend its reform proposal in line with the report's conclusions? Does it believe it possible to introduce environmental restrictions for cotton, seeing that cotton is not covered by the environmental framework established under Agenda 2000?

(1) OJ L 148, 30.6.1995, p. 45.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(18 April 2000)

Paragraph 11 of Protocol 4 on cotton annexed to the Act of Accession of Greece was amended by Article 6 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1553/95(1) and states that the Commission is to send the Council a report on the operation of the system of aid for cotton. So the report does not set out to investigate the economy of the sector in general but seeks to carry out an examination of the scheme, which was to focus on four specific points in line with the Council's wishes in June 1998(2).

The Explanatory Memorandum and accompanying legislative proposals(3) make up the substance of the report, as the introductory paragraph states. The report examines the system of aid and goes into the four points suggested by the Council.

The Commission proposals flow from the needs that surfaced in the report on the aid scheme.

As the Honourable Member points out, cotton as such is not covered by most horizontal measures under the common agricultural policy because of the special features of the rules governing it. Cotton is therefore not subject to the environmental measures under Agenda 2000.

Nonetheless, cotton growing, which is often a highly intensive activity that guzzles large quantities of water, might have disastrous effects on the environment if it is not made subject to environmental protection rules. Such rules can be introduced under the system of aid provided for in Protocol 4 since they make a long-term contribution to support for cotton production, as provided for in the first indent of paragraph 2 of the Protocol.

(1) OJ L 148, 30.6.1995.

(2) COM(1998) 10 final.

(3) COM(1999) 492 final.