WRITTEN QUESTION E-2232/01 by Torben Lund (PSE) to the Commission. Straw-shortening chemicals.
Date: 2001-07-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Sweden, application of EU law, cereals, chemical product, crop production, marketing standard, pharmaceutical product, plant health product

C 115 E/42

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

16.5.2002

The Commission’s investigations started when a third party alleged that State aid in various forms was
given, going beyond the level that could be based on authorised schemes. The Commission subsequently
asked the Dutch authorities for information on the aid measures in favour of SCI Systems.

including the payments for security
The Dutch authorities originally held that some of the measures,
services (NLG 778 552), did not constitute State aid. Nevertheless they provided detailed information, also
with respect to the security services. The Commission therefore is confident that its final decision has been
based on full information that is relevant to the case. In fact, the Commission concluded that the payment
of the security services constituted incompatible aid, that subsequently has been recovered from the
company.

(1) OJ C 144, 22.5.1999.
(2) OJ L 186, 7.7.2001.

(2002/C 115 E/042)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2232/01

by Torben Lund (PSE) to the Commission

(26 July 2001)

Subject: Straw-shortening chemicals

Are there any existing or planned prohibitions at EU or national level in one or more Member States on
the use of straw-shortening chemicals in agriculture?

If there is no such EU legislation in preparation, are there any plans to initiate it?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(23 October 2001)

The marketing and use of plant protection products in the Community is governed by Council Directive
91/414/EEC of 15 July 1991 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market (1). It
provides that no plant protection product can be placed on the market in the Community unless it has
first been authorized by the Member State in whose territory it is to be marketed. The scope of the
directive includes the marketing and use of growth regulators and Member States have had to apply, since
the entry into force of the Directive in July 1993, in particular Article 4 of the Directive when granting
authorizations for specific uses.

At Community level, there is no specific legislation prohibiting the use of plant protection products as
growth regulators in cereals and there are no plans at this time to introduce any.

level, the Commission is aware of legislation in Sweden. At the meeting of the Standing
At national
Committee on Plant Health held on 16 June 2000, and during the examination of Commission Directive
2000/50/EC of 26 July 2000 concerning the inclusion of an active substance prohexadione calcium in
Annex I to Council Directive 91/414/EEC (2), Sweden made the following declaration:

Since 1987, plant growth regulators are not allowed to be used in cereals in Sweden, except in rye for
which there are no short straw (lodging resistant) varieties available at present. This regulation is based
on a general restrictive national view on the use of all agrochemicals and is also in line with the
Council Resolution of the fifth Environmental Action Programme (3). We also fear that allowing plant
growth regulators may as a consequence indirectly increase the risk of nitrogen eutrophication.

(1) OJ L 230, 19.8.1991.
(2) OJ L 198, 4.8.2000.
(3) OJ C 150, 31.5.1993.