WRITTEN QUESTION P-1611/03 by Jean-Louis Bernié (EDD) to the Commission. Marketing of cereals.
Date: 2003-05-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: France, cereals, common organisation of markets, distributive trades, freedom of trade, trade intermediary, trade restriction

C 33 E/144

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2004

The group shall consist of 20 experts. The Commission shall appoint the group members from a list made
up of all persons proposed by governments of Member States and Candidate Countries as well as by
specific international,
inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations. The Commission shall
publish the list of members for information in the Official Journal of the European Union.

the Commission Decision,

According to Article 5 of
there shall be no remuneration for the tasks
performed by the members of the experts group. Travel expenses will be reimbursed following the rules
for consultative committees (A-07031). Four plenary meetings of the experts group as well as four
working party meetings (possible according to Article 6 of the Commission Decision) per year might be
to budgetary
necessary. However,
requirements as well as to the view of the group once established.

the number of meetings may have to be reconsidered further

(1) OJ L 79, 26.3.2003.

(2004/C 33 E/142)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1611/03

by Jean-Louis Bernié (EDD) to the Commission

(7 May 2003)

Subject: Marketing of cereals

Apart from in France, the marketing of cereals in the European Union is not regulated; farmers can sell
their produce freely and can ensure that it is perfectly traceable, in contrast to the produce of giant silos.

In France, the marketing function is a monopoly held by the storage agencies licensed by the National
Cereals Trades Board (ONIC), and it is compulsory for all cereal trade to be channelled through them. The
approved collectors deduct
for the
operation of ONIC, which gives them financial support.

the parafiscal charges which are needed, amongst other things,

This situation means that producers and users of French cereals are penalised both financially and in
respect of their ability to trade freely. For example, a French cereals producer is not allowed to sell his
produce directly to a breeder.

The rules imposed by ONIC therefore appear to constitute a barrier to Community trade and freedom of
trade.

What does the Commission think of this typically French situation?

Does it have any suggestions for resolving it?

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(25 July 2003)

The Commission’s information is that the system of approved collectors as introduced by Order No 67-
812 of 22 September 1967 to replace the storage agency system in order to enable France to comply with
her obligations under the common organisation of the cereals market following entry into force of
Regulation No 120/67/EEC (1) sets non-discriminatory terms of access to the activity of collector aimed at
the general
interest and does not interfere with the purposes of the common organisation of cereal
markets.

The system is designed both to protect
the grower, by
guaranteeing immediate payment for the cereals and correctness of transactions and to ensure that cereal
quality is preserved during the subsequent marketing stages. It also affords reliable statistical monitoring of
the cereals market and is a means of securing payment of the parafiscal charges owed by growers. Lastly,
the approved collectors are in
in retaining the grower’s freedom to choose the buyer, given that

the weaker of the contracting parties,

i.e.

6.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 33 E/145

competition, and in retaining freedom of prices, which remain dependent on supply and demand, the
system remains without influence on price formation and affects neither intra-Community trade nor the
free provision of services by users established in other Member States.

The parafiscal charges levied to finance action in the cereals sector (FASC) are not imposed on imports
from other Member States or non-Union countries and do not compromise the policy on cereal growers’
incomes implemented through the common market organisation.
form they were
approved by the Commission on 19 October 2000 as an aid system compatible with the common market
(State Aids/France No 514/2000).

In their present

(1) Regulation No 120/67/EEC of 13 June 1967 on the common organisation of the market in cereals, OJ 117,

19.6.1967.

(2004/C 33 E/143)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1618/03

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(13 May 2003)

Subject: Structural and Cohesion Funds in Portugal (repeat question)

In Written Question P-0976/03 (1) I asked the Commission about a significant utterance by Mr Verheugen
to the effect that the Commission would propose that the level of support for Portugal in the forthcoming
financial package should remain more or less the same. It was natural to believe that his words reflected a
consensus within the Commission. Although it was supposed to provide the necessary information, the
answer failed in the end to address the key question, which I am therefore repeating.

In reality, what Mr Barnier said fell substantially short of the promise that Mr Verheugen made in Portugal.
The written reply stated merely that a decision had still to be reached in the discussions on future
Community cohesion policy after 2006 and the proposals on the financial perspective for that period
would be submitted at a later date. It was consequently not possible to indicate at the present time roughly
how much funding might be allocated to Portugal after 2006.

Can the Commission answer the following:

(cid:1) Do Mr Verheugen’s and Mr Barnier’s attitudes to this vital matter amount to the same thing?

(cid:1) Do the views expressed by Mr Verheugen (cid:1) as referred to in the above-mentioned question (cid:1) stem

from an agreement within the Commission?

(cid:1) Even though it might not wish to specify approximate amounts for the period after 2006, does not
intends to propose, as
idea at

this stage of what

it

least a general
the Commission have at
Mr Verheugen gave clearly to understand?

(1) OJ C 268 E, 7.11.2003.

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(5 August 2003)

As mentioned in the answer to the Honourable Member’s Written Question P-0976/03, the future shape of
Community cohesion policy after 2006 is still being discussed within the Institution.