WRITTEN QUESTION E-0315/97 by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE) to the Commission (13 February 1997)

Subject: CMO for olive oil: measures to establish olive cultivation registers

The Court of Auditors' annual report for the financial year 1995 notes, with regard to the CMO for the olive oil sector, that the current level of operational olive cultivation registers does not represent satisfactory progress and that the control systems put in place by the Member States are still not of a satisfactory standard.

The above report also refers to the annual report for the financial year 1991, which had noted that the requirement to establish olive cultivation registers by 1988 had not been met for 50% of producers.

What measures has the Commission taken to ensure that European olive cultivation is properly recorded?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-0315/97, E-0316/97, E-0317/97, E-0318/97 and E-0319/97 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (19 March 1997)

It is not the responsibility of olive oil producers to draw up the olive cultivation register. Council Regulation (EEC) No 154/75 ((OJ L 19, 24. 1.1975. )) requires Member States producing olive oil to establish a cultivation register covering all olive-growing holdings on their territory.

At present the only Member State to have completed compilation of the register, including confirmation of the data by growers, is Italy where, with the register updating programmes taken into account, for details of which the Honourable Member is referred to the Commission's reply to written question E-4001/96 by Mr Arias Cañete ((OJ C 186 of 18.6.1997, p. 163. )), 100% of the area under olive trees (1.1 million hectares, 800 000 growers) is covered.

The Spanish authorities have undertaken to finish compilation for the end of 1998. By 31 May 1996 technical work had been completed for 58% of holdings spread over 46% of the municipalities and accounting for 10 of the 34 provinces in which olives are grown. Confirmation of the basic data (Article 6(3) of Regulation (EEC) No 2276/79 laying down detailed rules for the drawing-up of a register of olive cultivation in Member States producing olive oil ((OJ L 262, 18.10.1979. ))) has not yet occurred for any parcel (2 million hectares, 500 000 growers).

In Portugal (400 000 hectares, 70 000 growers) and Greece (900 000 hectares, 685 000 growers) work has passed the pilot stage and invitations to tender for the award of contracts are being drawn up.

The Commission has always monitored the Member States' action very closely:

- on technical matters it has collaborated with national authorities in defining working procedures and technical specifications;

- it finances the cost of the work carried out from the deduction made under Community rules by national paying agencies from the production aid for olive oil;

- as regards verification of conformity of the expenditure incurred with Community rules, the Commission plans a guiding role and monitors the work carried out.

Since responsibility for implementing the Community provisions and establishment of the register is the exclusive competence of the Member States, should they fail to apply these provisions or do so inadequately or should their expenditure be inconsistent with the rules the Commission may as part of the accounts clearance procedure impose the financial corrections it deems necessary.

The Commission, aware of the difficulties encountered in compilation of the register, is now turning its attention to exploitation to this end of the work carried out to establish the integrated administration and control system in the Member States in question. This tool was introduced as part of common agricultural policy reform from 1 February 1993 by Council Regulation (EEC) No 3508/92 establishing an integrated administration and control system for certain Community aid schemes ((OJ L 355, 5.12.1992. )), and Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3887/92 ((OJ L 391, 31.12.1992. )) and requires introduction of alphanumeric identification of agricultural parcels and establishment of a database permitting cross-checks.

The reform proposal for olive oil will have to incorporate an effective control tool that will be more rapidly available.