EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/861

(2004/C 78 E/0915)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3826/03

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(12 December 2003)

Subject: Environmental problems caused by small and medium-sized dairy farms

The need to maintain the competitiveness and profitability of small dairy farms in the face of the current common agricultural policy has led to the concentration of small and medium-sized farms with between 30 and 50 or 60 cows in rural areas where there are no facilities for treating waste or other possibilities of environmental assistance for small and medium-sized farms.

Generally speaking such farmers do not have the financial and technical means to solve by themselves the environmental problems created by their farms. This causes serious conflict in various areas in northern Portugal where such holdings are concentrated.

Can the Commission say:

1. what forms of Community support can be used to help small and medium-sized dairy farmers with the investments needed to solve the environmental problems caused by their farms;

2. what steps it intends to take to safeguard the existence of family farming and reconcile dairy farming with environmental protection?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(3 February 2004)

The Common Agricultural Policy, with its second pillar, the Rural Development Policy, provides for possibilities of aid schemes, which may have as a particular target group small and medium agricultural holdings. The conditions for granting aid are fixed in Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 concerning support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain Regulations (1). Member States design Rural Development Programmes according to their specific needs.

The Portuguese authorities offer in their regional and national Operational Programmes the following possibilities:

— ‘Support for investments in agricultural holdings’;

— ‘Diversification in small-scale agriculture’.

These two measures can also support investments to comply with recently introduced environmental standards.

Conservation of the environment and of natural resources

This measure foresees support for collective actions for environmental improvement in area with agricultural holdings and agro-industry, in particular for the pre-treatment of waste water from animal husbandry and agro-industry.

Until 31 December 2002 the possibility existed to support investments to comply with standards, not necessarily only recently introduced. Portugal made use of this possibility under the above mentioned measure 2.

In addition, and subject to the measures available in the Portuguese agri-environment part of rural development, farmers (including dairy farmers) who respect good farm practice, which includes respect for statutory environmental requirements, and agree to undertake agri-environment measures are eligible for support under this measure. It is primarily a matter for Portugal to draw up appropriate measures ensuring they go beyond good farm practice.

The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy agreed in June 2003 enhances the support possibilities under Rural Development. Firstly, additional Community funds generated by modulation of direct aids will be available from 2006 onwards. The Member States can attribute a priority in the use of these funds, for example, to support small and medium-sized farmers to improve their environmental performance.

Secondly, the maximum aid intensity for investments young farmers may undertake has been increased thus opening further possibilities for this important group.

Thirdly, as regards support for meeting standards, i.e. in the area of environment, an additional measure ‘meeting standards’ has been introduced, providing for possibilities to partly cover farmers' additional operational cost resulting from the introduction of newly introduced standards.

A series of other measures has been introduced or enhanced with the reform. The Portuguese authorities can adapt their Rural Development programming documents to take account of the new possibilities open to them under the reform.

(1) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.