WRITTEN QUESTION E-3929/00 by Béatrice Patrie (PSE) to the Commission. Non-food use of agricultural products.
Date: 2000-12-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU policy, agricultural product, alternative use of agricultural products, crop production, renewable energy, renewable resources

C 187 E/86

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(18 January 2001)

The Commission recognises that the abandonment of crews and their vessels by certain shipowners is
a serious problem requiring the attention of international and Community bodies alike.

The Commission is paying close attention to work being carried out at on this issue at international level
by the joint International Labour Organisation (ILO) and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) expert
working group. The abandonment of seafarers is indeed an international problem, and one that cannot be
solved at Community level without taking the international context into account.

It is certainly generally important for Member States to apply the ILO Conventions on seafarers(cid:146) welfare
properly in order to improve living and working conditions on board ships. However, this in itself is not
enough to solve the problem of abandoned seafarers when the ships concerned do not fly a Community
flag.

That is why the Commission intends first of all to examine the conclusions reached by the above-
mentioned expert working group before considering the expediency of acting at Community level.

(2001/C 187 E/094)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3929/00

by BØatrice Patrie (PSE) to the Commission

(13 December 2000)

Subject: Non-food use of agricultural products

The development of non-food uses for renewable agricultural products is at present an area of vast
It would make it possible to cut our CO2 emissions at a stroke, reduce our
potential for the EU.
dependence on oil, and reduce Europe(cid:146)s deficit in vegetable proteins. Above all it would make it possible
to replace vast quantities of pollutant products of mineral origin by products of vegetable origin
(lubricants, solvents, inks, bio-fuels, pesticides, etc.) which have the advantage of being biodegradable,
non-toxic and renewable.

Yet it is clear that Agenda 2000 has neglected this sector. Furthermore, although the Commission has
already taken initiatives to develop non-food uses of renewable resources, these suffer from the lack of
a global strategy and coordination between the various directorates-general concerned.

The Committee of the Regions, in its opinion 2000/C226/06, and a considerable number of economic and
social representatives from the renewable resources sector, recently called on the Commission to set up an
in-house non-food task force that would make it possible to gain a strategic vision of the subject and
pursue a consistent policy.

the Commission respond to this request

How will
the Regions and
representatives of the sector concerned? Will it set up this task force in the short or medium term? Are
the relevant departments considering proposals for regulations on the non-food uses of products of
vegetable origin?

from both the Committee of

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(7 February 2001)

The Commission does not at present consider it appropriate or useful to set up a special non-food task
force. In the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol
signed in December 1997 stipulates that progress must be made by 2005 on reducing greenhouse gas
emissions in all sectors of the economy. The Community is committed to an 8 % reduction in emissions
(compared to 1990 levels) during the period 2008-2012.

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/87

With a view to meeting those commitments, the Commission adopted the European Climate Change
Programme through its communication on policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (1).
In that communication, the Commission recommended setting up thematic working groups covering all
priority sectors of the economy. A group specific to agriculture has already been set up, as has another on
forest issues. The working groups(cid:146) membership is drawn from all the sectors concerned and comprises
Commission representatives, experts from Member States, and representatives from industry and trade
associations. The topics discussed include renewable energy and hence non-food uses of agricultural
products.

The groups(cid:146) purpose is therefore to identify and develop the most important aspects of the various
Community policies needed to implement the Kyoto Protocol. The results of the thematic groups(cid:146) work
could form the basis for specific Commission proposals on the various policies. TheSE could include
adjustments or amendments to Community legislation with the aim of reducing greenhouse gases.

The Permanent Group on renewable energy (cid:129) which the Commission set up in 1999 (cid:129) has provided
a platform for industry, producers and trade associations to exchange information with the Commission
departments on a regular basis.

The results of Agenda 2000 marked another important step towards bringing prices for primary
agricultural products more into line with world market prices. On the supply side, primary agricultural
products (cid:129) including cereals and oilseeds (cid:129) are consequently available at competitive prices for non-food
(including energy) uses.

It is difficult to do more under the common agricultural policy given existing constraints, mainly at
World Trade Organisation (WTO) and budget level. If (cid:129) from the energy and environmental policy
viewpoint (cid:129) using primary agricultural products as a renewable resource is considered a priority, the
disparity between prices for processed primary agricultural products and prices for competing fossil
products should be reduced through tax measures as already proposed by the Commission (the Schrivener
proposal) and set out in the Green Paper on security of energy supply (2).

Agenda 2000 also confirmed a 10 % reference rate for set-aside. Article 6(3) of Council Regulation (EC)
No 1251/1999 of 17 May 1999 establishing a support system for producers of certain arable crops (3)
provides (cid:129) irrespective of payment under that system (cid:129) that land set aside may be used for the provision
of materials for the manufacture within the Community of products not primarily intended for human or
animal consumption, provided that effective control systems are applied. Detailed rules for the application
of that Regulation are laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2461/1999 (4). About 20 % (up to
1 million hectares) of set-aside land has been used under the scheme. Industry has been able to take
advantage of highly competitive prices for primary agricultural products in order to develop new markets.

Community support for rural development also provides for promoting non-food uses of agricultural
products. The rural development plans for 2000-2006 which Member States have drawn up and submitted
for approval to the Commission thus include (cid:129) within the framework of support for investment on
holdings, processing and marketing agricultural products, or promoting and developing rural areas (cid:129) aid
measures for using biomass.

In the context of state aid for environmental protection, the Commission has also approved specific
(inter alia tax and regulatory) measures to promote energy-saving and renewable forms of energy.

(1) COM(2000) 88 final.
(2) COM(2000) 769 final.
(3) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.
(4) Commission Regulation (EC) No 2461/1999 of 19.11.1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of
Council Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999 as regards the use of land set aside for the production of raw materials for
the manufacture within the Community of products not intended for direct human or animal consumption
(OJ L 299, 20.11.1999).