WRITTEN QUESTION E-2857/01 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Division of cotton growers' production into eligible or ineligible for aid.
Date: 2001-10-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, aid system, application of EU law, cotton, market prices, production aid, quantitative restriction, utilised agricultural area

16.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 115 E/177

The Community evaluation of vinclozolin is almost complete and although the Commission is currently
considering options for decision-making on the substance, it has not yet made a proposal on vinclozolin.
Pending a Community Decision on Annex I
listing, products containing vinclozolin are currently
authorised in 12 Member States.

(1) OJ L 230, 19.8.1991.

(2002/C 115 E/184)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2856/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 October 2001)

Subject: Infringement proceedings against Greece concerning application of the COM in cotton

In its answer to my Written Question E-4160/00 (1) concerning the administrative measures taken by
Greece to restrict areas for cotton growing,
the Commission states that ‘the Commission instituted
infringement proceedings against Greece under Article 226 of the EC Treaty’ for the 2000/2001 marketing
year and that ‘the Commission may decide to institute proceedings similar to those’ in respect of the 2001/
2002 marketing year.

Can the Commission provide details of the stage reached in the relevant proceedings for the 2000/2001
and the 2001/2002 marketing years?

(1) OJ C 187 E, 3.7.2001, p. 150.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(22 November 2001)

As regards the measures taken by the Greek authorities to restrict areas for cotton growing in the
2000/2001 marketing year, the Honourable Member was informed in the reply to his Written Question
E-4160/00 that the Commission had started infringement proceedings against Greece under Article 226
(ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty and that the Commission reserved the position in respect of the
institution of similar proceedings in relation to the 2001/2002 marketing year.

The Commission decided to keep in abeyance the infringement procedure concerning the measures for the
2000/2001 marketing year until the Greek legal texts providing for the detailed measures of application of
Council Regulation (EC) No 1051/2001 of 22 May 2001 on production aid for cotton (1) and of
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1591/2001 of 2 August 2001 laying down detailed rules for applying the
cotton aid scheme (2), had been adopted. The Greek rules in question have been very recently supplied to
the Commission. The Commission services are currently looking into them with a view to propose to the
Commission a proper course of action to be followed in respect of this case.

(1) OJ L 148, 1.6.2001.
(2) OJ L 210, 3.8.2001.

(2002/C 115 E/185)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2857/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 October 2001)

Subject: Division of cotton growers’ production into eligible or ineligible for aid

By Decision 55645 of 24 September 2001 (Article 8(5)), the Greek Ministry of Agriculture is applying
‘individual quotas’ to cotton production and is allowing quantities of cotton for which aid will not be

C 115 E/178

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

16.5.2002

granted to be delivered to ginning plants. However, Regulation (EC) 1051/2001 (1) provides only for the
possibility of restricting the areas under cultivation, subject to certain conditions, and not for the division
of quantities delivered into those eligible or ineligible for aid. Cotton producers do not know for which
quantities ultimately aid will be granted or
receive the market price only
(approximately Drs 56 per kilo) or on what criteria and when their production will be reassessed. They
are also pondering whether to gather in all their crop in view of the fact that the cost of harvesting is
barely covered by the market price.

for which they will

In addition to the above Regulation, the Commission’s report to the Council ‘On Greek requests in the
cotton sector’ (2) also rejects the possibility of individual division of production and the notion of eligible
and ineligible quantities of cotton on the grounds that the existence of two kinds of cotton at the level of
producers and ginning plants alike would create serious problems with system monitoring and a risk that
the rules on aid could be infringed. A substantial modification and adjustment of the basic rules governing
aid for cotton would therefore be required.

1.

Can both subsidised and unsubsidised cotton be delivered to ginning plants?

Do the reasons which led the Commission in the past (2) not to allow Greece to subsidise only a part

2.
of the quantities produced by each grower no longer apply?

3.
Has the Commission examined the measures taken at the ginning plants to prevent a possible
infringement of the aid rules through the simultaneous delivery of consignments of cotton which are
eligible or ineligible for aid?

(1) OJ L 148, 1.6.2001, p. 3.
(2) COM(1998) 10 final.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(26 November 2001)

The Commission has asked for and received a copy of the Decree of 24 September 2001 on national
measures decided by the Greek authorities in connection with the new aid scheme for cotton applicable
from the 2001/02 marketing year.

At present the Commission is looking carefully at the official legal texts relating to the Decree and cannot
state a position on the matter.

At all events, under Article 17(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1051/2001 of 22 May 2001 on
production aid for cotton (1), the Member States now have the right to restrict the areas eligible for the aid
under environmental measures authorised for the purpose.

Cotton obtained on areas not eligible for the aid may be ginned but cannot qualify for Community aid and
is not subject to the minimum price obligation.

(1) OJ L 148, 1.6.2001.

(2002/C 115 E/186)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2864/01

by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission

(17 October 2001)

Subject: Safeguarding olive oil production

The judgment of
Justice of 14 December 200 in Case C-99/99 ‘Italian Republic v.
Commission of the European Communities A Action for annulment A Regulation (EC) No 2815/98 (1) A
marketing standards for olive oil, threatens to destroy the principle of the’territoriality’ of production.

the Court of