WRITTEN QUESTION E-1451/00 by Wolfgang Ilgenfritz (NI) to the Commission. Checks on Austrian farms.
Date: 2000-05-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Austria, agricultural holding, quality control of agricultural products, quality label

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/41

Could the Commission answer the following questions:

1.

Is there not an urgent need to shift the emphasis of development cooperation partly towards the
establishment or development of electronic infrastructure in order to prevent the further margin-
alisation of the developing countries on electronic markets?

2. Have plans been drawn up concerning that shift in emphasis, e.g. support for the establishment of

electronic trade points, as encouraged and developed by Unctad?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(6 July 2000)

As the Honourable Member has indicated, the Commission launched, at the recent Lisbon European
Council, the e-Europe initiative, an important example for developing digital economic concepts and social
inclusion in Europe. In the same spirit, the Commission has suggested to the Group of eight most
industrialised countries (G8) launching the e-development initiative at the Okinawa Summit next July
2000. The e-development initiative seeks to promote the dialogue with developing countries aiming at
their integration into the global economy. The Commission is prepared to play its part. The Commission
has in particular suggested to focus on three key areas: developing infrastructures and improving
connectivity, fostering the provision of basic social services and building human capacity, encouraging
market friendly policies and ensuring policy coherence.

Indeed the Commission is of the opinion that an information society can take root in developing countries
only by looking at a broad spectrum of inter-related issues, electronic trade points being only one of the
many aspects.

In particular the Commission has put

The Commission is already active operationally in support of an information society in developing
countries.
in place a major information and communication
technologies (ICT) programme for the Mediterranean region. The Euro-Mediterranean information society
initiative (Eumedis) encompasses five strategic sectors including e-commerce and technologies for business
process re-engineering. On 25 March 2000 a call for proposal for cooperative Euro-Mediterranean projects
in the field of e-commerce and technologies for industries was launched (with a total financial coverage of
€ 14 million).

A comparable programme for Asia is on its way and a equivalent effort for Latin America should become
operational soon, covering also several areas, e-commerce included.

In May 2000, the Commission signed an agreement for the co-financing of the virtual university for
Africa, together with the World Bank and other donors. The virtual university for Africa will deliver
teaching via the Internet.

It is anticipated that a G8 e-development initiative will increase the focus and coherence of donor support
for ICT initiatives in developing countries.

The new communication technology is not, however, an easy short cut for the poor people in the world.
Rather, it represents a must for the administrative and intellectual elites and the emerging business in
developing countries if they are to avoid further marginalisation in the process of globalisation. Billions of
people have not yet spoken in a telephone and 2,2 billion have no access to electricity.

(2001/C 81 E/049)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1451/00

by Wolfgang Ilgenfritz (NI) to the Commission

(10 May 2000)

Subject: Checks on Austrian farms

In Austria, in connection with the monitoring of Agrarmarkt-Austria (AMA (cid:129) agricultural market Austria),
in 1998 checks on compliance with the criteria governing the AMA quality label were carried out on
82 041 Austrian farms.

C 81 E/42

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

How many farms in the other Member States were checked in the same year?

How many checks were carried out in the EU as a whole?

Were more farms checked in Austria than in the other Member States? What explanation does the
Commission have for this disparity?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(13 June 2000)

There are no specific Community provisions governing the arrangements for checks on products bearing
national quality labels such as the (cid:145)AMA-G(cid:252)tesiegel(cid:146). It is therefore up to the public authorities to use their
substantial powers for that purpose.

It follows that the Commission does not have the precise and exhaustive statistical data requested by the
Honourable Member relating to checks carried out in the other Member States. The Commission is
therefore unable to reach a valid judgment on whether there are differences or disparities within the
Community.

(2001/C 81 E/050)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1452/00

by Wolfgang Ilgenfritz (NI) to the Commission

(10 May 2000)

Subject: Distortions of competition on the Austrian livestock market

Since Austria(cid:146)s accession to the EU, national aid schemes have been used to support so-called producer
groups and unions of such groups on the Austrian livestock market.

The private livestock trade is excluded from these aid schemes,
agricultural products receives no aid if he does not belong to a producer group.

in other words a farmer producing

In these producer groups products are bought in wholesale prices and offered for sale below the calculated
wholesale price. The resulting loss is offset by the aid payments.

This disregard for standard commercial principles on the part of the producer groups makes it impossible
for the private livestock trade to sell its products on a fair, competitive market.

In the light of this situation, and the opinion delivered by the Federal Committee for the Private Livestock
Trade (which has been forwarded to DG D),
the following questions to the
Commission:

I should like to put

1. What measures does the Commission plan to take to combat this distortion of competition?

2.

If the Commission does not regard this as a breach of the principle of free competition, how does it
justify that standpoint?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(15 June 2000)

State aids to cover operating costs would normally not be compatible with Articles 87 and 88 (ex Arrticles
92 and 93) of the EC Treaty.

However, the Commission normally allows state aid for the starting up of producer associations if certain
conditions are met (1). The costs eligible for such support are the administrative start-up costs of the group
or association.