WRITTEN QUESTION E-0485/00 by Albert Maat (PPE-DE) and Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission. Continuation of the ornamental flowers promotional fund.
Date: 2000-02-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, horticulture, sales promotion

20.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/5

(2001/C 53 E/007)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0485/00

by Albert Maat (PPE-DE) and Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Continuation of the ornamental flowers promotional fund

(24 February 2000)

1.
During the budget negotiations for 2000 Parliament adopted an amendment saying that the existing
rules needed to be evaluated in the near future (before the end off 1999) and that the promotional fund
should then be continued but on a new legal basis. The Council also adopted a decision on these lines at
second reading. A sum of € 3 million was budgeted for this. The deadline has now passed without the
Commission having responded to the amendment. In what way, and when, does the Commission intend to
respond to the express wish of the budgetary authority to take the measures necessary to continue the
scheme?

2.
Concessions have been made by the Union in respect of ornamental flowers in agreements with
Egypt, South Africa and Mexico. For example, in a communication of 18 January 2000 on the free-trade
agreement with Mexico, the Commission states: (cid:145)The EC will obtain full and rapid access for a number of
its key export priorities such as wines, spirits and olive oil (cid:133) In exchange for these concessions (cid:133) the
package includes partial
liberalisation for certain products of interest to Mexico such as concentrated
orange juice, avocados, and cut-flowers(cid:146), In order to remain competitive in this open and extremely liberal
context, continuation of the promotional fund is essential (bearing in mind that the EU(cid:146)s commercial
policy prompted the setting up of the scheme). Does the Commission share this view?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(11 April 2000)

The Commission is aware that additional funds have been allocated for Chapter 38, item 3800 of the

1.
Community budget.

Furthermore,
it would remind the Honourable Members that Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC)
No 2275/96 of 22 November 1996 introducing specific measures for live plants and floricultural
products (1) stipulates that (cid:145)the measures referred to in Article 1 may be granted Community funding for
a period of no more than three years. An evaluation study shall be carried out in the final year(cid:146).

The results of this study will be available in the second half of 2000. The Commission will not be in a
position to decide whether to continue the promotional scheme in the ornamental flowers sector until it
has received these results.

The Commission considers that the promotional fund may help to guarantee a balanced market in

2.
this sector.

(1) OJ L 308, 29.11.1996.

(2001/C 53 E/008)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0513/00

by Dirk Sterckx (ELDR) to the Commission

(17 February 2000)

Subject: Removal of dead animals

there are substantial variations between Member States and even between regions
It appears that
concerning the policy on removal of dead animals. In Flanders, dead animals have to be collected by an
organisation for a fixed fee ranging from BEF 5000 to BEF 20 000 a year, depending on the size of the
farm. In other areas removal is completely free of charge. On the other hand, Flemish farmers have noted
that dead animals in the United Kingdom are collected by local hunts, which use them to feed their
hounds.