WRITTEN QUESTION E-1328/02 by Werner Langen (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Calculation of LUs in the case of Jersey cows.
Date: 2002-05-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: cattle, common organisation of markets, dairy cow, equidae, livestock farming, livestock unit, policy on agricultural structures

5.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 301 E/125

(2002/C 301 E/133)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1328/02

by Werner Langen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Calculation of LUs in the case of Jersey cows

(8 May 2002)

A dairy farmer with a herd of pure Jersey cows who farms on a grassland farm in the Hunsrück area of
Germany has complained that, although Jerseys have a maximum live weight of 400 kg, each of his Jersey
cows is calculated as constituting one livestock unit. He argues that the fodder consumption of Jersey cows
is appreciably lower than that of other cattle breeds.

It has long been the case that, when livestock units are being calculated for horses kept on a non-
commercial basis, account is taken of individual body weights.

1.

2.

3.

Is the Commission aware of this problem?

Does the Commission see any possibility of an appropriate conversion table being introduced?

Are there conversion factors which need to be reviewed in other areas, for example poultry?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(14 June 2002)

1.
The Commission has no knowledge of the specific situation to which the Honourable Member refers.
Nevertheless the Commission understands that the situation relates to applying livestock units (LU), which
are normally used in the common organisation of certain markets and in support for rural development.

LU are used in the common organisation of the beef and veal market (cid:1) established by Council Regulation
(EC) No 1254/1999 of 17 May 1999 (1) (cid:1) to apply the rules on direct payments.

Given the trend towards more intensive production of beef and veal, LU are used with a view to restricting
livestock premiums by taking into account each holding’s forage capacity in relation to the number and
species of animals carried.

Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 stipulates inter alia that producers may be granted a special premium for
male bovine animals, a premium for maintaining suckler cows, and an extensification payment. The
granting of these premiums is to be subject to the holding’s compliance with the relevant stocking density,
expressed in LU per unit of forage area used for the animals carried.

Applying the relevant stocking density (1,9 LU in 2002, 1,8 LU in 2003) restricts the number of animals
eligible for a special premium or a suckler cow premium. An extensification payment to a producer
receiving one or both of the above premiums is also granted subject to compliance with the relevant
stocking density (1,4 LU).

For the purposes of granting a special premium or a suckler cow premium, stocking density is to be
determined taking into account the male bovine animals, suckler cows and heifers, sheep and/or goats for
which premium applications have been submitted, as well as the dairy cows needed to produce the total
reference quantity of milk allocated to the producer.

For the purposes of granting an extensification payment, stocking density is to be determined taking into
account the male bovine animals, cows and heifers present on the holding during the calendar year
concerned, as well as the sheep and/or goats for which premium applications have been submitted for the
same calendar year.

The number of animals is to be converted into LU by reference to the Regulation’s conversion table, which
assigns dairy cows a value of 1,0 LU whatever their breed, age or weight.

C 301 E/126

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 also stipulates that a Member State’s additional payments in the form of
headage payments are to be subject
to specific stocking density requirements laid down by the
Member State.

It should be noted that equidae, for which there is no common organisation of the market, are not taken
into account in this context.

As regards support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund
(EAGGF) under Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999, LU are used for support measures in less-favoured
areas and areas with environmental restrictions, as well as for support
to farmers who give agri-
environmental commitments for at least five years.

In this case, stocking density is to be defined taking into account the total number of animals grazing on
the holding. The number of animals is to be converted into LU by reference to a conversion table similar
to that used for beef and veal (cow: 1,0 LU), but including equidae (equidae older than six months,
regardless of weight: 1,0 LU).

LU could also be used in future for Council Regulation (EC) No 2529/2001 of 19 December 2001 on the
common organisation of the market in sheepmeat and goatmeat (2), which stipulates that Member States
may grant amounts supplementary to the ewe or goat premium, possibly subject to stocking density
requirements, to be determined by the Member State in the light of local conditions.

The Commission does not at present envisage introducing a method of calculation different from that

2.
currently used in each of the contexts referred to under point 1.

3.

LU are not used for any other common organisation of the market established in the meat sector.

(1) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.
(2) OJ L 341, 22.12.2001.

(2002/C 301 E/134)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1329/02

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 May 2002)

Subject:

’Hors classe’ advisers

Could the Commission provide information on the recruitment procedures for ‘hors classe’ advisers, say
how many such advisers are already working at the Commission and state the period for which they have
been taken on?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(24 June 2002)

Within the Commission, the denomination ‘A1 official’ covers three different functions, namely ‘Director
General’, ‘Deputy Director General’ and ‘Hors Classe adviser’.

As a general rule,
Regulations, whereby officials are assigned to these posts in the interest of the service.

‘Hors Classe adviser’ posts are filled using the provisions of Article 7(1) of the Staff