Report from the Commission to the Council on the application of the system applicable to certain grain legumes
Date: 1999-09-09
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Combined Nomenclature, aid per hectare, aid system, leguminous vegetable, utilised agricultural area

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 09.09.1999
COM(1999)426 final

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL

ON THE APPLICATION OF THE SYSTEM
APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN GRAIN LEGUMES

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL

ON THE APPLICATION OF THE SYSTEM
APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN GRAIN LEGUMES

This report is presented under Article 6(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1577/961, which
stipulates that after three marketing years the Commission is to make a report on the
application of the above system, accompanied, where necessary, by appropriate
proposals.

1. DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM

“Grain legumes” describes crops of lentils, chick peas and vetches harvested
as dry seeds. Such crops are eligible for a specific Community support
measure introduced in 1989 by Regulation (EEC) No 762/892 for an initial
period of three marketing years ending on 30 June 1992.

The measure consisted in Community aid per hectare sown and harvested,
fixed annually by the Commission. In 1989 it was ECU 75 (ex-green ecu) per
hectare within a maximum guaranteed Community area (MGA) of
the area cultivated in the
300 000 ha, equivalent
Community in the 1985/86, 1986/87 and 1987/88 marketing years. An
overrun in the MGA gave rise to a reduction in the aid for the following
marketing year.

to the average of

The measure was extended several
the
December 1993 Council mentioned the intention to gradually strengthen the
current system and, as a result, the Commission increased the aid in stages
until it reached ECU 150 (ex-green ecu) per hectare in 1995/96.

times. The conclusions of

The current system (Regulation (EC) No 1577/96) continues the main
aspects of the 1989 system. The aid was maintained at the level for the
1995/96 marketing year, ECU 181 including the switch-over coefficient
(150 x 1.207509 = ECU 181). There were two key changes: the MGA was
increased to 400 000 ha and the aid reduction resulting from an overrun of
the MGA was from that time on applied during the marketing year in
by
question. Regulation
(EC) No 1577/96 was
Regulation (EC) No 1826/973
in the
nomenclature for leguminous vegetables.

to take account of a change

amended

then

Aid applications lodged by producers are dealt with by the integrated
of
administration

system (IACS),

application

control

and

in

1

2

3

OJ L 206, 16.8.1996, p. 4.
OJ L 80, 23.3.1989, p. 76.
OJ L 260, 23.9.1997, p. 11.

2

Regulation (EEC) No 3508/924, as are all area aids granted under the
common agricultural policy.

2.

APPLICATION OF THE SYSTEM

During the three marketing years covered by this report (1996/97, 1997/98
and 1998/99) the MGA has been consistently exceeded, by 37.44%, 23.54%
and 10.08% respectively.

As a result the basic aid (ECU 181/ha) has been reduced proportionately, in
accordance with the rules governing an overrun of the MGA. The final
amounts of the aid were ECU 131.69/ha, ECU 146.51/ha and ECU 164.42/ha
respectively. Details of land under grain legumes, MGA overruns and the
final aid amounts are shown in the table in Annex I.

3.

POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SYSTEM

Several improvements to the system were suggested during the course of the
period covered by this report.

Some involved a radical recasting of the system which would mean
additional budget funds, such as increasing the MGA or adding new crops.
They must be omitted in the current context.

The question of inclusion in the arable crops system was raised during the
Agenda 2000 discussions. This is of no great interest to traditional producers
of lentils, chick peas and vetches because it could result in a degree of
displacement of those crops without really simplifying the system. That
option was not considered when Agenda 2000 was adopted and should not be
considered now.

Lastly, through a written question (No 3919/97) the European Parliament
drew the Commission’s attention to significant overruns in the MGA caused
by an increase in land under vetches, a crop used for animal feed, while the
other two crops are for human foodstuffs. The point was made that the
In its reply given on
combined nomenclature code seemed wrong.
6 January 19985
it would “study the
classification of these two species of vetch in detail and,
if necessary,
propose an amendment to the legislation”.

the Commission indicated that

4.

PROPOSAL

the combined nomenclature code
After verification it was found that
ex 0713 90 90 was correct. It describes part of the heading 0713 “Dried
leguminous vegetables, shelled, whether or not skinned or split” since the

4

5

OJ L 355, 5.12.1992, p. 1.
OJ C 187, 16.6.1998, p. 89.

3

vetches are harvested as seeds. Vetches harvested green in the form of fodder
are found under code 1214 and are not eligible under the present system.
Since vetches are not explicitly mentioned under 0713 the subheading
0713 90 “Other” needs to be used: it has a subdivision 0713 90 10 for seeds
intended for sowing. In the case of vetches, seeds for sowing are found under
CN code 1209 29 10. They are not eligible for the present system but may be
covered by the rules governing seeds. Thus for vetches harvested as seeds for
animal feed the CN code 0713 90 90 applies. There is no need to correct the
regulation.

The Commission therefore feels that
the system should continue in its
present form: an MGA of 400 000 ha and aid at EUR 181/ha. However,
MGA overruns demonstrate that developments in cultivated area need to be
better managed.

To achieve that, the Commission proposes to take account of the different
uses of the products: human food for lentils and chick peas and animal feed
for vetches. The relative proportion of areas for which aid has been requested
since application of the measure started is given in Annex II, which shows
that on average lentils and chick peas accounted for some 40% of the area
aided and vetches for 60%. The Commission proposes to subdivide the MGA
on that basis, giving 160 000 ha and 240 000 ha respectively. Unused
hectares in one MGA during a marketing year would be reallocated to the
other MGA before an overrun occurred.

Lastly, the Commission also proposes to change the competent management
committee so as to align the regulation with practice by replacing the
Management Committee for Dried Fodder with the Management Committee
for Cereals.

4

ANNEX I

GRAIN LEGUMES

Area for which aid has been requested
Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1644/96

Area (ha)

Belgium

Denmark

Germany

Greece

Spain

France

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Austria

Portugal

Finland

Sweden

United Kingdom

Lentils

Chick peas

Vetches

Total

1996/97

1997/98

1998/99

1996/97

1997/98

1998/99

1996/97

1997/98

1998/99

1996/97

1997/98

1998/99

321

45.436

4.213

488

27.869

4.319

476

858

23.944

126.446

4.698

603

1.048

93.435

731

1.054

2.957

5.197

4.619

4.136

6.733

6.148

98.756

363.698

337.099

259.109

535.581

458.402

381.808

536

20

283

298

4.836

5.333

5.532

676

1.549

2.498

618

6.306

8.526

1.780

14.352

30.595

3.074

22.207

41.619

15

2

0

27

29

5

3

0

9

1.717

15

1.190

9

4.471

0

0

71

152

41

353

10

0

70

657

2

0

66

2.072

10

86

1.369

29

85

5.131

2

EC 15

50.663

34.281

31.623

130.252

102.725

113.352

368.860

357.153

295.350

549.774

494.159

440.325

5

ANNEX II

GRAIN LEGUMES

Area for which aid has been requested

1989/90

1990/91

1991/92

1992/93

1993/94

1994/95

1995/96

1996/97

1997/98

1998/99 Average

Lentils and chick peas

Vetches

Total

123.923

72.654

85.537

60.024

77.387

82.796

66.598

64.332

53.287

84.368

149.618

180.915

137.006

144.975

110.361

53.843

114.746

219.042

368.860

357.153

295.350

168.880

196.577

145.561

160.183

130.930

107.130

199.114

368.660

549.774

494.159

440.325

279.241

(ha)

Lentils and chick peas (%)

Vetches (%)

63%

37%

59%

41%

48%

52%

51%

49%

50%

50%

42%

58%

41%

59%

33%

67%

28%

72%

33%

67%

40%

60%

600.000

500.000

400.000

300.000

200.000

100.000

0

Lentils and chic k
peas
V etches

T o tal

1989/90

1990/91

1991/92

1992/93

1993/94

1994/95

1995/96

1996/97

1997/98

1998/99

6