WRITTEN QUESTION E-2670/01 by Ioannis Averoff (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Aid for the restructuring and conversion of vineyards in Greece.
Date: 2001-10-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, Greece, aid for restructuring, competitiveness, exchange of information, production capacity, redirection of production, viticulture

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/175

and will aim at increased control of both international and domestic flights.

In view of the degree of technical detail of the standards to be implemented, the Commission proposes to
be given the appropriate executive powers to adopt the necessary implementing measures. Such measures
will be implemented gradually in a realistic manner to take account of the time needed to train personnel
and alter infrastructure. In the event of a more specific threat, Member States will be able to adopt special
measures. For its part, the Commission intends to ensure that the Community measures are able to evolve
in line with the nature of any threat.

Furthermore, as requested by the Heads of State and Government, a mechanism for controlling the
application of these rules is currently being set up. In its Regulation, the Commission proposes that in
future the mechanism should be based on the establishment of a quality control system to be implemented
by a national authority designated by the Member States. The systems set up by the national authorities
will themselves be monitored by trained multinational teams of inspectors backed up by a light inspection
body set up within the Commission.

The Commission also adopted on the same day a package of measures on the single sky which include,
interalia, a proposal for a Regulation dealing with the integrated management of the European airspace (2).

(1) COM(2001) 575 final.
(2) COM(2001) 564 final.

(2002/C 93 E/209)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2670/01

by Ioannis Averoff (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(2 October 2001)

Subject: Aid for the restructuring and conversion of vineyards in Greece

Under the new Council Regulation on the common organisation of the market in wine (Regulation (EC)
1493/1999 (1) of 17 May 1999) the Member States are entitled to annual financial subsidies to restructure
and convert vineyards. However, Greece has not received any financial aid for the 2000/2001 period.

1. Why has Greece not received any aid for the 2000/2001 period? Can it confirm that the reason is
the delay in the drawing-up of a scheme and the inventory of the production potential? Are the
Commission services acquainted with the reasons for this delay?

Does the Commission consider that the scheme put forward by Greece and the declared inventory
in the

2.
will ensure an effective restructuring of vineyards in Greece and allow an improvement
competitiveness of Greek viticulture?

(1) OJ L 179, 14.7.1999, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(23 November 2001)

Commission Decision 2000/503/EC of 25 July 2000 fixing an indicative financial allocation, in respect of
a number of hectares, by Member State for restructuring and conversion of vineyards under Council
Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 for the 2000/01 marketing year (1), allotted Greece €8 280 000 for a
minimum of 1 162 ha. This was in line with Article 14(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of
17 May 1999 on common organisation of the market in wine (2).

The inventory of viticultural production potential, presentation of which is a prerequisite for access to
Community funds, was sent by the Greek Government to the Commission by a letter of 25 June 2001.
The Commission took the appropriate decision on 18 July 2001.

It is this situation that was the reason for non-utilisation by 30 June 2001 of the Community funds made
available to Greece by the Commission. Nor did she make use of the provision in the detailed rules
(Commission Regulation (EC) No 1227/2000 of 31 May 2000 laying down detailed rules for the

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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18.4.2002

application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 as regards production potential (3)) for allowing
Member States to use by 15 October 2001 part (maximum 75 %) of the Community funds not used by
30 June. For the 2002 budget year she has received an allocation of € 7 323 000 for 3 028 ha.

Under Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 responsibility for restructuring plans falls to the
Member State. The Commission has no data allowing it to forecast the impact of the restructuring and
conversion plans on the competitive position of each Member State’s viticulture industry.

(1) OJ L 201, 9.8.2000.
(2) OJ L 179, 14.7.1999.
(3) OJ L 143, 6.6.2000.

(2002/C 93 E/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2711/01

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 October 2001)

Subject: Operational methods of the Gastouni Agricultural Cooperative Producers’ Organisation

The Greek Ministry of Agriculture’s Directorate of Plant Produce has produced a document (reference
384498/17.07.2001) stating that the committee’s report on the operation of the ‘Gastouni Agricultural
Cooperative A Industrial Tomato Producers’ Organisation’ has revealed that
is not operating in
accordance with Community regulations and national provisions.

it

In particular:

(a) There is no guarantee of a democratic decision-making process (Regulation (EC) No 412/97 (1),
Article 3) since the rules of procedure make no provision regarding decisions by the governing board.

(b) There is no list of members approved by the county court.

(c) There is no separate account kept for the ‘Gastouni Agricultural Cooperative Industrial Tomato
Producers’ Organisation’, but in terms of accounting the producers’ organisation shares the Gastouni
Agricultural Cooperative’s bank account, so that the money in the operational fund is also available
for the Gastouni Agricultural Cooperative’s activities.

(d) The items in the operational programme (administrative personnel, supplies management etc.) also

cover the activities of the Gastouni Agricultural Cooperative.

(e) The requirements of Regulation (EC) 2201/96 (2) and the Agriculture Ministry’s Decision 351665/
20.04.2000 concerning the production and distribution of industrial tomatoes are not being met,
according to the monitoring report dated 14 March 2001 by the three-member committee of the
Directorate for Agricultural Development. Because of these shortcomings, the directorate responsible
did not make payments for the operational programme for 1997 to 2000, with the result that
Community contributions amounting to 170 000 000 drachmas have not been paid over, while
producers who are members of the Gastouni Agricultural Cooperative Producers’ Organisation have
had to pay their own contributions, since the programme’s activities are co-financed.

Although the Ministry of Agriculture is aware of these facts, no steps have been taken to ensure that the
above cooperative complies with Community regulations and national provisions.

What measures does the Commission intend to take to ensure that the cooperative complies with
Community legislation?

(1) OJ L 62, 4.3.1997, p. 16.
(2) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 29.