WRITTEN QUESTION E-1018/00

by Jean-Claude Martinez (TDI) to the Council

(6 April 2000)

Subject: Community preference for nuts, chestnuts and carob beans

Throughout Europe approximately 300 000 families are involved in the production of almonds, hazelnuts, chestnuts and carob beans. However, since its needs far outstrip production, the European Union leads the world in imports of almonds, (74 % of which are supplied by the United States), hazelnuts (75 % produced by Turkey) and walnuts from California and China.

The lowering of customs duties to 2 % in accordance with the Marrakesh Agreements threatens to wipe out nut production in Europe, which cannot reduce its production costs to the social and environmental dumping levels in Turkey, China and the United States.

Almond, chestnut and walnut plantations protect the soil and the environment and are a source of employment and balance in the countryside. Although in ten years the European Union has invested 725 million in the sector, today there is no one specific aid instrument dedicated to it.

Does the Council intend to set aside funding, even if only as part of environmental and rural policy, to provide adequate financing for this sector, the disappearance of which would prove a great deal more costly than ensuring its survival?

What practical, specific and workable measures does the Council intend to adopt?

Reply

(10 July 2000)

The Council would like to point out that in March 1989 it adopted specific measures for nuts and locust beans(1); these measures provide for per hectare aid of ECU 200 to 475 per year as part of plans put in place between 1989 and 1996 and have a maximum duration of 10 years; they aim to improve the quality and marketing of locust beans, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and pistachios. The approved plans are administered by recognised producers' organisations and include measures designed to improve production of these products, as well as phytosanitary measures. The measures apply until the expiry of the last plans, i.e. until 2006.

In addition, the Regulation on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables(2) provides under Article 55 for the granting of a flat-rate aid of 15/100 kg for hazelnuts for the 1997/1998, 1998/1999 and 1999/2000 marketing years.

Furthermore, this Regulation provides for Community financing for those producers' organisations which implement operational programmes aimed at improving the production and marketing of fruit and vegetables as well as respect for the environment. These operational programmes, which are approved by the national authorities, may include specific measures for the nut-growing sector.

The Council thus recognises the economic and social importance of the nut-growing sector and is aware of the difficulties which a great number of those engaged in that sector would be faced with if institutional aid measures were to be withdrawn. While the Council has as yet received no proposals from the Commission which are specifically aimed at the nut-growing sector, it would draw the Honourable Member's attention to Mr Fischler's reply, on behalf of the Commission, to Written Question E-0524/00(3) stating that the Commission would be more in favour of social and environmental support measures, i.e. within the framework of the regulations on rural development.

(1) Regulation (EEC) No 789/89, OJ L 85, 30.3.1989.

(2) Regulation (EC) No 2200/96, OJ L 297, 21.11.1996.

(3) Reply not yet published in the OJ.