WRITTEN QUESTION E-1863/00

by Carles-Alfred Gasòliba i Böhm (ELDR) to the Commission

(9 June 2000)

Subject: Agricultural over-exploitation, and citrus-growing in particular, in the Valencian Autonomous Community

The conversion of unirrigated land and woodland into farmland is causing over-production, while the new farms frequently take no account whatever of the fact that the area already suffers from grave water shortages.

Both the increase in the number of farms and the over-production involved, contrary to the Common Agricultural Policy, are frequently tacitly supported by the autonomous and state governments. Such practices threatens farmers' professional standards, and considerably lowers prices and farmers' incomes.

How does the Commission intend to deal with this anomaly, particularly in the Valencian and Catalan citrus-growing sector? What measures does the Commission intend to take to oblige the Valencian Autonomous Community (Objective 1) to apply modernisation and agricultural improvement measures, particularly as regards citrus-growing, as part of the aid which the Valencian Community will be receiving?

Supplementary answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(25 October 2000)

The new rural development policy adopted by the Council in June 1999 has become the second pillar of the common agricultural policy. An essential component of the European model for agriculture, its aim is to put in place a coherent and durable framework that, by favouring the maintenance and creation of jobs, secures the future of rural areas. Its main priorities are stronger agriculture and forestry sectors, improved competitiveness of rural areas and conservation of the environment and the rural heritage.

Among the structural aids included in Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999(1) of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain Regulations that should go some way to meeting the Honourable Member's concerns are aid for afforestation of agricultural land, compensatory allowances in less-favoured areas and areas subject to environmental constraints, agri-environmental aid and aid for agricultural production structures.

Under the subsidiarity principle it is up to the Member State to present its rural development programme. At the end of December 1999 the Spanish authorities presented programmes for EAGGF Guarantee Section financing. These include a general programme of accompanying measures (agri-environment, early retirement, afforestation and compensatory allowances) covering all of Spain except the Basque Country and Navarre. Due to be approved shortly by the Commission,

it includes agri-environmental aid in the citrus fruit sector. A general programme for improvement of agricultural production structures in non-Objective 1 areas (including those in the Autonomous Community of Catalonià) was approved on 15 September (Community contribution 397 000 000) and the specific rural development programme for Catalonià was approved on 14 September (Community contribution 207 000 000).

The Commission also expects to approve soon the Community support framework for the Objective 1 Spanish regions, under which the EAGGF Guidance Section will aid agriculture and rural development. For rural development the assistance embraces a multiregional operational programme (including the Autonomous Community of Valencia) financed by the EAGGF Guidance Section to improve agricultural production structures in the Objective 1 regions except Cantabria, and a multifund regional operational programme (European Regional Development Fund, EAGGF Guidance Section, European Social Fund) for the Autonomous Community of Valencia. Both are under examination by the Commission.

In parallel to its common agricultural policy work, the Community has just committed itself to a new sustainable water policy. The framework Directive(2) on water focuses on the quality of Europe's groundwater and surface water, setting an obligation for all water to achieve or maintain good status within 15 years. One of its main purposes is also to promote sustainable water use based on long-term protection of available water resources, and good status as an objective also involves a quantitative element in the case of groundwater, namely a long-term balance between supply or natural recharge and abstraction. All abstraction from groundwater and surface water (except if of insignificant impact) will require a permit.

(1) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.

(2) Directive of the Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy; not yet published in the Official Journal; final adoption by the European Parliament on 7 September, by the Council on 15 September 2000.