WRITTEN QUESTION E-3436/00 by Generoso Andria (PPE-DE), Stefano Zappalà (PPE-DE), Giuseppe Nisticò (PPE-DE), Vitaliano Gemelli (PPE-DE) and Guido Viceconte (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Beet growing.
Date: 2000-11-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, State aid, application of EU law, sugar beet

22.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 151 E/169

Will the Commission, in addition to immediately setting up an emergency assistance plan, draw up a
directive instructing regions to forward a hydrogeological risk map, to provide detailed information on
geological conditions in each commune?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(15 December 2000)

The Commission deplores the deaths, injuries and homelessness and the infrastructural and environmental
damage resulting from the bad weather in northern Italy during October 2000.

As regards emergency assistance, the Honourable Member is asked to refer to the answer given by the
Commission to Oral Question H-0857/00 by Mr Ebner during question time at the November 2000
session of Parliament (1) and to its comments during the debate on climate change at the second October
session on 25 October 2000 (2) and during the debate on the floods in Europe at the November session, on
16 November 2001 (1).

In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity and for reasons of proportionality it is not for the
Commission to draw up any rules instructing regions to forward detailed hydrological risk maps for each
municipality.

The Commission watched this disaster closely as it developed and offered assistance in the form of its own
expertise and coordination of the national emergency teams. It would remind the Honourable Member that
in September 2000 it adopted a proposal for a Council Decision establishing a Community mechanism for
the coordination of civil protection intervention in the event of emergencies (3) which will make it possible
to mobilise operational resources and take rapid action to help a Member State facing an emergency
situation.

(1) Debates of the European Parliament (November 2000).
(2) Debates of the European Parliament (October 2000).
(3) COM(2000) 593 final.

(2001/C 151 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3436/00

by Generoso Andria (PPE-DE), Stefano Zappal(cid:224) (PPE-DE),
Giuseppe Nistic(cid:242) (PPE-DE), Vitaliano Gemelli (PPE-DE)
and Guido Viceconte (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 November 2000)

Subject: Beet growing

Beet growers in the south of Italy have benefited from national subsidies within the meaning of the
Community regulation which expires at the end of the current 2000-2001 year. Those sugar refineries
Incoronata, Termoli and Villosar) employ 1 600
(Celano, Foggia,
which have remained operational
permanent and seasonal workers,
in addition to which there are around 2000 workers in induced
employment.

Clearly, productivity is inadequate (60 q of sugar per hectare) and will need to be improved through
structural changes, in particular:

(a) development of water resources and of irrigation techniques;

(b)

improvement projects in the agro-economic sector;

(c)

coordination and wider use of modern technology.

Could the Commission defer the proposal to amend the regulation on the common organisation of the
market in sugar seeking to abolish national aid to beet growing in southern regions?

C 151 E/170

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.5.2001

This aid should be maintained for a further five years (until the end of the 2005/2006 year), so that there
is sufficient time to prepare a specific project for the sector with the aim of improving structural aspects of
holdings and increasing productivity of crops.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 December 2000)

Since the establishment of the common market organisation for the sugar sector in 1968, Italy has been
authorised to grant national adjustment aid for improving the conditions under which sugar beet and
sugar are produced. These aids have in particular been intended to improve the structural conditions under
which sugar beet is grown in the southern region.

National aids in general have always been considered to be inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the
objectives to be achieved by agricultural common market organisations. On the other hand, the regular
renewals of the authorisation to Italy to continue granting these aids in the sugar sector have demonstrated
both the gravity of the structural difficulties involved and the goodwill of the Council, the Parliament and
the Commission in seeking to achieve an improvement in the conditions for the sugar beet growers
directly concerned.

The last reform of the common market organisation for the sugar sector adopted in 1995 by Council
Regulation (EEC) no 1101/95 of 24 April 1995 amending Regulation (EEC) no 1785/81 on the common
organisation of the market in the sugar sector and Regulation (EEC) no 1010/86 laying down general rules
for the production refund on certain sugar products used in the chemical industry (1) provided, however,
that Italy should be granted only one further authorisation concentrating on the most critical situation of
sugar beet cultivation, with a view to finally phasing out these national adjustment aids during the lifetime
of the current production quota system which expires on 30 June 2001.

Subsequently the Council, after consulting the Parliament, has adopted Council Regulation (EC) no 2613/
97 of 15 December 1997 authorizing Portugal to grant aid to sugar beet producers and abolishing all
State aid from the 2001/2002 marketing year (2) which clearly provides that all national aids authorised by
the common market organisation for the sugar sector are to be abolished with effect from 1 July 2001
onwards. In these circumstances, the Commission has not foreseen any new measures along the lines
suggested by the Honourable Members in its recent proposal on the next production quota and other
arrangements to apply in the sugar sector (3).

(1) OJ L 110, 17.5.1995.
(2) OJ L 353, 24.12.1997.
(3) COM(2000) 604 final.

(2001/C 151 E/196)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3437/00

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(7 November 2000)

Subject: Countering the unintended catching of marine mammals by ensuring strict compliance with, and if

necessary improving, existing protection measures

Is the Commission aware that, every year, thousands of marine mammals such as dolphins die as a

1.
result of accidentally getting into fishing nets as (cid:145)by-catches(cid:146), even though they are not being fished for?

Can the Commission confirm that marine mammals are protected under the Berne Convention, the

2.
Bonn Convention and the Habitats Directive (92/43/EC) and come under Annex I to CITES?