WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3182/98 by Armelle GUINEBERTIERE Aid granted to French agricultural sawmills under the EAGGF structural funds
Date: 1998-10-27
Institutions: European Parliament, GUINEBERTIERE
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, EAGGF, EU aid, France, accession to the European Union, competition law, investment aid, job preservation, rural region, wood industry

C 289/26

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.10.1999

As far as the chemical analysis is concerned, the reference method is set out in Annex IV. The sampling
however is not done in a uniform way. At present, the Commission is working on the development of
monitoring guidelines pursuant to Article 5(6) and also on the reporting format pursuant to Article 10 in order
that measurements are made in a more uniform way in the future, but bearing in mind the different
environment conditions in the various regions of the Community. The proposals are likely to be presented to
Member States during the first semester of 1999.

Article 1 stipulates the objective of the Directive is to reduce water pollution caused or induced by nitrates
from agricultural sources and to prevent further such pollution. It is not linked to any specific kind of soil.

(1) OJ L 375, 31.12.1991.
(2) OJ L 213, 22.8.1977.
(3) OJ L 265, 12.9.1989.

(1999/C 289/033)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3182/98

by Armelle Guinebertière (UPE) to the Commission

(27 October 1998)

Subject: Aid granted to French agricultural sawmills under the EAGGF structural funds

The current reform of the EAGGF structural funds provides for the termination of all aid for agricultural
sawmills which represent the last stage of forestry activity in France and account for a substantial proportion of
jobs in rural areas.

At the same time measures are being taken in favour of similar undertakings in countries of Central and
Eastern Europe, and notably EU applicant countries.

Without questioning the principle of EU aid for former East bloc countries, the protection of jobs in Europe
must remain a major priority, notably in disadvantaged rural areas.

Should European structural fund aid not therefore be granted, as part of forestry policy, to sawmills in rural
areas for the sake of the jobs they provide, so as to avoid any form of negative discrimination?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(16 November 1998)

The Commission is well aware that forestry provides business for many timber-processing undertakings,
mainly located in the countryside.

Article 28 of the proposal for a Regulation on support for rural development (1) (in which the ‘Forestry’
chapter comprises Articles 27 to 30) provides for investment aid to be granted in rural areas throughout the
Community for a number of purposes, including ‘to improve and rationalise the processing and marketing of
forestry products’; however, to ensure that the aid contributes to safeguarding existing rural jobs and creating
new ones without distorting competition by favouring certain firms or products, the provision specifies that
‘investments related to the use of wood as a raw material shall be limited to all working operations prior to
industrial use’.

It is true that there is no similar limitation of investment aid for the processing and marketing of forestry
products to working operations prior to industrial use in Article 2 of the proposal for a Regulation on
Community support for pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant
countries of Central and Eastern Europe (2). However, the Commission intends that the implementing rules
adopted in accordance with Article 12 of the proposal for a Regulation shall including provisions to ensure
that investment aid has no discriminatory effects in the timber market.

(1) OJ C 170, 4.6.1998.
(2) OJ C 150, 16.5.1998.