WRITTEN QUESTION E-1863/00 by Carles-Alfred Gasòliba i Böhm (ELDR) to the Commission. Agricultural over-exploitation, and citrus-growing in particular, in the Valencian Autonomous Community.
Date: 2000-06-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Catalonia, Community of Valencia, citrus fruit, common agricultural policy, over-exploitation of resources

C 53 E/194

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.2.2001

(2001/C 53 E/251)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1863/00

by Carles-Alfred Gas(cid:242)liba i B(cid:246)hm (ELDR) to the Commission

(9 June 2000)

Subject: Agricultural over-exploitation, and citrus-growing in particular,

in the Valencian Autonomous

Community

The conversion of unirrigated land and woodland into farmland is causing over-production, while the new
farms frequently take no account whatever of the fact that the area already suffers from grave water
shortages.

Both the increase in the number of farms and the over-production involved, contrary to the Common
Agricultural Policy, are frequently tacitly supported by the autonomous and state governments. Such
practices threatens farmers(cid:146) professional standards, and considerably lowers prices and farmers(cid:146) incomes.

How does the Commission intend to deal with this anomaly, particularly in the Valencian and Catalan
citrus-growing sector? What measures does the Commission intend to take to oblige the Valencian
Autonomous Community (Objective 1) to apply modernisation and agricultural improvement measures,
particularly as regards citrus-growing, as part of the aid which the Valencian Community will be receiving?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(14 July 2000)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.

(2001/C 53 E/252)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1873/00

by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Nuclear-related provisions set aside in Germany

(6 June 2000)

Under Article 87(1) of the EC Treaty, State aids are prohibited in the Community if they affect trade
between Member States. At the latest since expiry of the time limit for transposition of the directive on the
internal market for electricity,
the conditions have existed for large-scale electricity trading between
Member States.

The admission of all provisions made for disposal and for decommissioning of nuclear power stations in
Germany, which reduces tax liability, represents a departure from the principles underpinning tax law that
goes against the entire system and is tantamount to aid, since:

(cid:129) the provisions of

the firms concerned are freely disposable and are subject

to no statutory

requirements in terms of risk, return or availability,

(cid:129) obligation, with regard to the cost of dismantling nuclear power stations, is, unlike what should be the

case, given no tangible expression in law or in an administrative decision,

(cid:129) in the light of what is available as a basis for an appraisal (e.g. Deregulation Commission report,
1990/91), provisions to cover the cost of disposal are excessive and cannot therefore be regarded in
their entirety as attribution of a future cost to the point in time when it is caused.

1.

Does the Commission agree with the above position?

Has the Commission(cid:146)s competition authority already intervened to counter this serious violation of

2.
EU competition law?