OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE on the Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3013/89 on the common organization of the market in sheepmeat and goatmeat
Date: 1995-03-29
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: agri-monetary policy, common organisation of markets, goatmeat, sheepmeat













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51995AC0315

OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE on the Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3013/89 on the common organization of the market in sheepmeat and goatmeat  


Official Journal C 133 , 31/05/1995 P. 0008 





Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Council Regulation (EEC)  No  3013/89 on the common organization of the market in sheepmeat and goatmeat ()(95/C  133/05)On 19  January 1995, the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social  Committee, under Articles 43 and 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the  abovementioned proposal. The Section for Agriculture and Fisheries, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work  on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 2  March 1995. The Rapporteur was Mr  Strauss. At its 324th Plenary Session on 29 and 30  March 1995 (meeting of 29  March 1995), the Economic and  Social Committee unanimously adopted the following Opinion. 1. Italian and Greek increases in quota for ewe and female goat premium 1.1. The  Committee is in general agreement with the proposal. 1.2. It will be essential to ensure that the allocation of any extra individual rights should be  conditional on firm proof of eligibility. 1.3. It was in part administrative confusion and the extreme complexity of the system which  prevented producers from claiming ewe premiums to which the Commission now feels they were  entitled. The Committee therefore believes that a retrospective payment of premium should be made  for 1991 to the relevant producers in Italy and Greece who were not able to claim their full  entitlement that year. Quota rights should be adjusted accordingly. Firm proof of actual ewe  numbers will have to be furnished for each of the years for which an increased claim is lodged. 1.4. The Committee believes that the Commission should consider whether there is a case for  increasing quota allocations to meet the legitimate demands of new entrants and producers who had  embarked on investment plans before the introduction of quotas in 1993. The regulation states  explicitly that the needs of such producers should be provided for by the reserve. 2. Definition of the producer 2.1. The Committee agrees with the proposal. 2.2. Considerable care will have to be taken to ensure that the greater element of flexibility in  the application of quota transfer will not endanger the operation of the syphon which is necessary  to ensure that the sheep sector continues to become more competitive. Done at Brussels, 29 March 1995. The Presidentof the Economic and Social CommitteeCarlos FERRER() OJ No C  382, 31. 12. 1994, p. 37. APPENDIX to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee Summary of Proposals for  which the Economic and Social Committee's Opinion has been sought The Council, in agreeing the  1994/95 price package asked the Commission to bring forward proposals on Italian and Greek problems  associated with taking 1991 as a base year for allocation of premium rights and also on the  transfer of rights within a partnership. Italian and Greek increases in quota for ewe and female goat premiumUnder the sheepmeat and  goatmeat regime compensatory payments in the form of premiums on ewes and female goats are paid to  producers. Following the 1992 CAP reform, individual quotas were introduced based on producers'  claims in 1991. The Commission proposes to increase the Italian quota allocation by up to 600,000 premium rights.  This reflects the Italian authorities claim that: - with the change in application dates between 1990 and 1991, some 140,000 applications were lost; - errors in interpreting the Community regulations reduced the number of payments in Sardinia by  460,000 below the number of eligible ewes. For Greece too, the Commission is proposing to increase quota by up to 600,000 premium rights. This  is to reflect the underclaim of premium in 1991 which was a transition year. Definition of the producerWhen there is a transfer of premium rights, the regulation allows for a  syphon of up to 15% to be levied to the national reserve. This is a particular problem where there  is a high number of family partnerships. The loss of 15% of rights is considered harsh particularly  when such transfers occur within such partnerships. The Commission is now proposing to overcome such difficulties by introducing an element of  flexibility which will still preserve the underlying principles of the syphon.