WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3058/97 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. COM in hops
Date: 1997-10-02
Institutions: AMADEO, European Parliament
Subjects: agricultural production policy, common organisation of markets, fallow, hops, income stabilisation, market stabilisation, redirection of production, utilised agricultural area

C 117/142

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 4. 98

(98/C 117/190)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3057/97

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(2 October 1997)

Subject: Tobacco reform

The  Commission(cid:146)s  report  to  the  Council  on  the  common  organization  of  the  market  in  raw  tobacco
(COM(96) 554 final) analyses two basic options for the future of the Community tobacco sector, before going on
to conclude that aid for tobacco growing should not be abolished in the medium term but should be generally
overhauled. The proposed reforms provide for a variable premium to encourage the production of better quality
tobacco (with lower tar content) and the  introduction  of a scheme for  buying back quotas  which  will  enable
tobacco growers to cease production, thereby reducing the size of the overall Community quota.

While  recognising  the  obvious  contradiction  between  pursuing  a  Community  policy  to  reduce  tobacco
consumption  and  at  the  same  time  supporting  the  production  of  raw  tobacco,  the  report  points  out  that  the
abolition of aid for tobacco growers would result in an end to raw tobacco production in the European Union with
serious consequences for the 200 000 jobs in the production and processing sectors (170 000 and 30 000 jobs
respectively). In addition, the Community finances 80% of the income of European tobacco growers, of whom
there are 70 000 in Greece (52%) and almost 40 000 in Italy.

Will the Commission ensure that any measures to end tobacco growing are accompanied by precise details of
what  other  crops  could  be  grown  in  tobacco-  growing  areas,  or  will  it  create  the  conditions  necessary  for
non-agricultural activities to flourish as part of a balanced and gradual development of rural areas?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(21 October 1997)

With regard to the Honourable Member(cid:146)s question on the alternatives open to producers who give up growing
tobacco,  the  Commission  wishes  to  point  out  that  it  is  only  putting  forward  proposals  for  those  who  decide
voluntarily to leave the sector because of the difficulties they encounter in following market trends. Hence, since
it  is  not  compulsory  to  leave  the  tobacco  sector,  it  is  not  for  the  Commission  to  say  exactly  what  choices
individual producers should make.

However, to support those who voluntarily decided to abandon tobacco growing the Commission put forward
proposals for accompanying measures in its report.

The  accompanying  measures  should  concentrate  on  the  promotion  of  strategic  plans  for  local  development,
directing producers to other activities. The plans should be drawn up at the closest possible level to the areas
concerned.  They  should  involve  closely  those  directly  concerned,  in  the  first  instance,  the  tobacco  producer
groups. The approach should be one of integrated development, as is currently the case under the development
programmes financed by the Structural Funds for the benefit of Objective 1 and Objective 5(b) regions.

(98/C 117/191)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3058/97

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(2 October 1997)

Subject: COM in hops

The  Commission  has  submitted  a  proposal  for  a  Council  Regulation  (EC)  amending  Regulation  (EEC)
No 1696/71 on the common organization of the market in hops (COM(97) 98 final › 97/0066 CNS) (1).