WRITTEN QUESTION P-2255/02 by Carlos Bautista Ojeda (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Support for cork production in the EU.
Date: 2002-07-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, European forestry policy, Portugal, Spain, arboriculture, cork, forestry development, rural development, sustainable forest management

C 52 E/142

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

The outgoing president has taken refuge in the north of the country, his traditional stronghold, and is
ready to put up armed resistance to a likely attack by the government forces of President Ravalomanana,
which have decided to put an end to Mr Ratsiraka’s occupation of the northern part of the island.

In the event of a war, the chief victims would inevitably be defenceless civilians.

Can the Commission therefore say whether and how the European Union could take action to help
peacefully resolve the political and military crisis in Madagascar,
thereby preventing a civil war of
unimaginable consequences?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(26 August 2002)

The Commission wishes to remind the recent positive outcome of the crisis in Madagascar, which ended
with Mr Marc Ravalomanana launching a reconciliation process in the country and announcing early
legislative elections, and the international community recognising him as President of Madagascar.

The Commission welcomes the solution of the crisis and hopes that the reconciliation process will lead to
peace and stability for the people of Madagascar.

The Commission deplores the dramatic impact of
the past political crisis on the population. The
Commission has, during the seven months long crisis, been committed to a solution that is respectful of
civilian peace and of the interests of the people of Madagascar. To this end, the Commission has supported
all the mediation efforts to encourage national conciliation.

Furthermore, during this period, the Commission has taken several measures to alleviate the effects of the
protracted crisis on the population, such as the rehabilitation of roads and the re-establishment of free
movement of goods and persons, ensuring the supply of food and medicine.

The Commission is prepared to offer political and technical support for national reconciliation and for a
to contribute to
lasting solution to the crisis, and is ready,
Madagascar’s efforts to restore the economic and social situation of the country.

in co-ordination with other donors,

(2003/C 52 E/162)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2255/02

by Carlos Bautista Ojeda (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Support for cork production in the EU

(17 July 2002)

The production of cork is a lengthy and laborious process, from the time of its formation in cork-oak
groves to the time the season’s harvest is processed and reaches the final consumer. Cork is one of the
products that features in Annex I of the Treaty on European Union in the list referred to in Article 32 of
the Treaty, and Spain and Portugal are the two main cork producers in the EU. The majority of the cork
produced in those countries is intended for the agri-foodstuffs industry (manufacture of bottle corks, etc.).
Given the circumstances, there is no denying the important environmental, economic and social role that
cork plays in the regions in which it is produced.

Can the Commission indicate how Community policy on cork currently operates, both from the point of
view of the markets and from that of rural and forestry development? Does it intend to enhance and if
need be revise this policy in order to safeguard the future of the cork industry in the EU? Is the
Commission aware that unless more aid is set aside for it this industry may cease to exist?

6.3.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 52 E/143

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(17 September 2002)

At present, the market of cork products is not subject to any particular regulation.

Under Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from
the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain
Regulations (1), the rural development programmes 2000-2006 provide for financial support to private
forest owners or municipalities for the management and sustainable development of cork oak stands, the
preservation of resources and the afforestation of farm land, with a view to maintaining the economic,
social and ecological functions of cork oak forests in rural areas. Support is also provided for vocational
training to improve the occupational skill and competence of persons involved in forestry activities.

The above-mentioned programmes continue and expand the scope of the efforts already initiated under
Council Regulation (EEC) No 2080/1992 of 30 June 1992 instituting a Community aid scheme for forestry
measures in agriculture (2). Under the latter Regulation, Community support provided during the period
1994-1999 contributed to the improvement of over 100,000 hectares of existing cork oak stands in Spain
and Portugal and to the plantation of another 100,000 hectares in those Member States during the same
period.

In addition, substantial efforts at Community level have also been undertaken under the Community
Research Framework Programmes. These research activities are aimed at increasing the overall competi-
tiveness of the cork sector in the Community, in particular that of small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs). As an example the Commission presented some months ago a very successful Craft programme on
the improvement of cork glue and sterilisation (a special microwave treatment against bacteria and fungi)
which had a considerable positive impact on the use of European cork.

The Commission considers that the structural support by the regional and rural development programmes
can provide a coherent package of measures to strengthen the development of the cork sector within the
Community. Moreover, the common agricultural policy (CAP) mid-term review, recently proposed by the
Commission (3),
foresees to allocate more resources to the rural development policy in the future.
Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of Member States and regions to decide the specific measures and
financial resources to be allocated to cork-related activities within the above-mentioned programmes. In
view of the ecological, social and economic importance of the cork sector, the Commission will certainly
be open for any specific additional
initiatives in its support proposed by the Member States in the
framework of the current programmes and within the existing financial envelopes.

(1) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.
(2) OJ L 215, 30.7.1992.
(3) COM(2002) 394 final.

(2003/C 52 E/163)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2257/02

by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission

(24 July 2002)

Subject: Increase in illegal irrigation and further deterioration of the River Segura

The Commission will be only too aware of the serious environmental situation in the Segura River area as
it was not by accident that the experts it sent there classed the Segura ‘the most polluted river in Europe’.

However, in parallel with the lengthy infringement proceedings the Commission has opened against Spain
irrigation has increased
for this reason, the state of the river has deteriorated still further and illegal
throughout the area, in such a way that:

(cid:1) the extensive ploughing-up of land and the conversion of woodlands into irrigated land has continued,
with this also causing an increase in the number of illegal wells (there are calculated to be more than
15 000 unregulated wells) and the overexploitation of all the aquifers;