Report from the Commission to the Council on the cost of the aid measures for the transport of certain fruit and vegetables in 1996 provided for in Council Regulation (EEC) No 3438/92
Date: 1998-02-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EAGGF Guarantee Section, EU aid, Yugoslavia, carriage of goods, perishable goods

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 23.02.1998 
COM(1998) 94 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL 

on the cost of the aid measures for the transport of certain fruit and vegetables 
in 1996 provided for in Council Regulation (EEC) No 3438/92 

Hi 

Article 2(4) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3438/921, as last amended by Regulation 
(EC) No  1600/962, requires the Commission to present a report to the Council on the cost 
of the aid measures for the transport of certain fruit  and vegetables. 

This report concerns the cost of the measures in 1996. 

1, Background 

The conflict  in Yugoslavia, which erupted in 1991, hampered the transport of certain 
Greek agricultural products destined for other Community Member States, in particular 
fruit  and vegetables, which are highly perishable. 

As a result of this exceptional situation, unprecedented  since the introduction of the 
common agricultural policy, the Council took a decision, in respect of fruit and 
vegetables covered by Council Regulation (EEC) No  1035/723 (which was subsequently 
repealed and replaced by Regulation (EC) No 2200/964), on account of their 
perishability, to compensate for the costs arising as a result of the need to avoid the 
territory of the former  Yugoslavia. 

2. Regulatory  framework 

Council Regulation  (EEC) No 3438/92 provides for the grant of a special temporary 
allowance for the years  1992-96 on consignments made by wagon, truck or vessel to 
Member States other than Italy, Spain and Portugal. The allowance for  1996, which is the 
last year for which it is to be granted, must be adjusted  on a diminishing scale. 

The Commission  subsequently  adopted a number of implementing regulations,  including 
Regulation (EC) No 2133/965, amended by Regulation (EC) No 95/98°, concerning the 
consignments in 1996. 

This Regulation set the aid originally at ECU 3.21 and ECU 2.76 per  100 kilograms net 
weight for consignments from  1  January to  17 October  1996 and from  18 October to 31 

1  OJL  350,  1.12.1992, p.  1. 

2  OJL  206.  16. 8.1996, p. 45. 

3  OJL  US, 20. 5.1972, p.  1. 

4  OJL  297, 21.11.1996,p.  1. 

5  OJL  285.  7.11.1996, p. 13. 

6  OJL  9,  15. 1.1998, p. 28. 

2 

December 1996 respectively on condition that the quantities dispatched during those 
periods do not exceed 175 000 tonnes and 41  000 tonnes respectively. 

The competent Greek authorities were instructed to examine aid applications and their 
admissibility and to proceed with payments. They were instructed also to carry out the 
necessary checks on the operations. Financing is provided by the Guarantee Section of 
the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF). 

The Greek authorities are required to notify the Commission of the quantities qualifying 
for  transport aid. 

3, Cost of the aid 

The figures below have been prepared on the basis of information sent by Greece 
concerning the consignments in  1996 which qualified for transport aid. The data supplied 
to the Commission are  broken down by product, means of transport and Member State of 
destination. 

In 1996 aid was granted in respect of 260 958 437 kg offrait and vegetables, i.e. 5%  less 
than in 1995. The quantities dispatched during the two reference periods referred to in 
point 2 above totalled 206 016 864 kg and 54 941 573kg  (Le. 79%and2I%) 
respectively. The aid amounts were consequently reduced in proportion to the overruns, 
as required under Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2133/96, to ECU 2.727 and 
ECU 2.060 per 100 kg  respectively, giving a total cost for the measure of 
ECU 6 749 876. 

4. Summary 

Table t gives a breakdown by product of the quantities dispatched. 
Grapes are the  main product that benefited from the measures, accounting for 31% of the 
consignments for which the allowance was granted. Next come oranges (14%), followed 
by water melons (11%X 

Germany was by far the principal consignee Member State, receiving 64%  of the 
quantities dispatched, followed by the  Netherlands (16%) and  the  United Kingdom (11%) 
(see Table 2> 

% 

Table 1 
Consignments of Greek fruit and vegetables which qualified for transport aid in 1996 

Product 

Quantity (kg) 

Percentage (%) 

Grapes 

Oranges 

Water melons 

Asparagus 

Cucumbers 

Mandarins 

Peaches 

Kiwis 

Cherries 

Lemons 

Apricots 

Nectarines 

Peppers 

Tomato peppers 

Carrots 

Sweet peppers 

Valencia oranges 

Lettuce 

Apples 

Tomatoes 

Aubergines 

Quinces 

Cabbages 

Plums 

Raspberries 

Beans 

Mirabelle plums 

Grapefruit 

Pears 

Total 

81,607,965 

35,645,944 

29,705,048 

24,016,518 

19,854,739 

16,871,482 

15,016,785 

10,713,782 

6,067,158 

5,558,389 

4,711,271 

4,604,271 

1,711,130 

1,697,056 

1,008,972 

957,327 

524,450 

243,220 

240,072 

65,277 

47,445 

34,430 

17,800 

11,640 

10,903 

8,900 

3,393 

2,710 

360 

31.3 

13.7 

11.4 

9.2 

7.6 

6.5 

5.8 

4.1 

2.3 

2.1 

1.8 

1.8 

0.7 

0.7 

0.4 

0.4 

0.2 

0.1 

0.1 

0.0 

0.0 

0.0 

0.0 

0.0 

0.0 

0.0 

0.0 

0.0 

0.0 

260,958,437 

100.0 

Table 2 

Consignments of Greek fruit  and vegetables which qualified  for transport aid in 1996 
by Member State of destination 

Member State of 
destination 

Quantity (kg) 

Percentage  (%) 

D 

_ 

_K 

A 

F 

_ 

S 

B 

165,770,941 

40,382,906 

29,282,103 

16,175,286 

2,479,037 

1,671,658 

3,796,306 

1,400,200 

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ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(98) 94 final 

DOCUMENTS 

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03  07  10  01 

Catalogue  number  :  CB-CO-98-099-EN-C 

ISBN  92-78-31240-1 

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