WRITTEN QUESTION E-3561/01 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Calculation of the amount of olive oil for which each producer will receive advance payments of aid in Greece.
Date: 2002-01-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, aid system, application of EU law, olive oil, production aid

4.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 160 E/141

(2002/C 160 E/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3561/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Calculation of the amount of olive oil for which each producer will receive advance payments of

aid in Greece

By Joint Ministerial Decision No 408461 of 9 November 2001 Greece specified the basis for calculating
the amount of olive oil eligible for aid for 2000/2001 and the appeals procedure. This Decision ignores
the yield of olive oil zones established by Regulation (EC) 2067/2001 (1) and calculates new yields which,
in some cases, are over 50 % less than those recognised by the EU.

It has also provided for uniform percentage reductions per region in the amounts in respect of which olive
oil producers have requested aid. This means that some amounts actually declared will be excluded from
aid, while other amounts will receive aid without controls; despite the flat rate reduction being made, these
amounts will still be much higher than those calculated on the basis of the recognised yields of the olive
production zones. The same Decision provides that, if a producer lodges an appeal, the entire amount
declared by each producer will be excluded from advance payments of aid: this forces olive oil producers
to accept reductions imposed on them if they wish to receive part of the aid immediately to enable them
to meet their financial obligations.

Since the implementation of Joint Ministerial Decision No 408461 of 9 November 2001 of the Greek
Ministry of Agriculture has caused outrage among olive oil producers who see their incomes being eroded
by arbitrary and coercive decisions by the Ministry of Agriculture, will the Commission say:

1. Does it consider that the establishment of amounts of olive oil eligible for aid and the appeals

procedure implemented by Greece are compatible with Community regulations?

2. Has Greece furnished all the information provided for under Article 6 of Regulation (EC) 2366/98 (2)

as amended by Article 2 of Regulation (EC) 1273/1999 (3).

(1) OJ L 278, 23.10.2001, p. 11.
(2) OJ L 293, 31.10.1998, p. 50.
(3) OJ L 151, 18.6.1999, p. 12.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(11 February 2002)

The Greek authorities have adopted a set of measures to apply the provisions of Commission Regulation
(EC) No 2366/98 of 30 October 1998 laying down detailed rules for application of the system of
production aid for olive oil for the 1998/99 to 2000/01 marketing years (1). These include Joint Ministerial
Decision No 408461 of 9 November 2001 and two modifications thereof: No 417759 of 5 December
2001 on the checking procedure when appeals are lodged and No 417759 of 6 December 2001 on rules
for determining quantities eligible for the production aid for 2000/01. Decision No 408461 is consonant
with the Community rule that Member States are to defer payment of 25 % of the advance on the aid in
the case of ‘producers who lodge an aid application for production that is more than twice the quantity
resulting from the application to the number of trees declared of the average yield of the homogeneous
zone in which the holding is mostly located’ (Article 16(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2366/98).

On determination of the yields of the homogeneous zones, Greece provided the data required under
Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 2366/98. However, while the yields set in the Community rules are set on
the basis of the olive trees cropped, the Greek authorities adjust the yields to take into account all trees in
production as indicated in the crop declarations.

C 160 E/142

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.7.2002

In addition to these checks scheduled before payment of the advance on the aid Member States must make
those specified in Articles 27 to 31 of Regulation (EC) No 2366/98. These checks should ensure that there
are no quantities appearing in aid applications on which the production aid will be improperly paid.

(1) OJ L 293, 31.10.1998.

(2002/C 160 E/178)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3565/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Application of the Community cotton scheme in Greece

From 1981 to 2000 the application of the Community cotton scheme in Greece was the responsibility of
the Cotton Organisation, which has now been abolished. In the current marketing year, checks are being
carried out by the new payment agency, the OPEKEPE, which does not however have a properly structured
technical control service. This has led to considerable delays and confusion, and the various checks
stipulated by Regulations (EC) Nos 1051/2001 (1) and 1591/2001 (2) have been called into question.

1. What body or bodies and services have taken over responsilbity for the checks stipulated in
Regulation (EC) 1591/2001 (Articles 5 and 13, inter alia)? When were they designated? More specifically,
following the abolition of the Cotton Organisation, what body has been made responsible for quality
controls on ginned and unginned cotton (cases, length of fibres, moisture content of bales), which are
necessary in order to determine the price for unginned cotton and the weight of ginned cotton for which
aid is being paid and which require specialised staff, suitable infrastructure (classification facilities, quality
control laboratories) and central coordination if they are to be reliable?

2.
Has the Commission checked whether the bodies responsible for the various controls relating to the
Community cotton scheme are capable of dealing with and prepared for the requirements laid down by
Regulations (EC) Nos 1051/2001 and 1591/2001?

Has the Commission examined the reliability of

3.
Article 13(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1591/2001?

the coordination mechanism laid down by

(1) OJ L 148, 1.6.2001, p. 3.
(2) OJ L 201, 3.8.2001, p. 10.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 February 2002)

As the common agricultural policy rules on management of the market organisations for the various
products stand, it is not the Commission’s business to comment on the internal organisation of the Greek
authority responsible for policing Community agricultural subsidies.

Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 of 17 May 1999 on financing of the common agricultural
policy (1) requires Member States to inform the Commission now what bodies it has decided to accredit
and provide it with information on their operation. It gives the Community a right of scrutiny of the
activities of the paying agencies that is exercised in close cooperation with the Member State.