WRITTEN QUESTION E-2614/03 by Albert Maat (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Planting of vineyards with the help of EU funds.
Date: 2003-08-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Spain, aid for restructuring, plantation, production policy, vineyard, viticulture

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/747

(2004/C 78 E/0794)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2584/03

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Council

(8 August 2003)

Subject: Import of timber from Indonesia

What measures does the Presidency intend to take to combat the illegal import of timber from Indonesia?

Reply

(4 March 2004)

The Council attaches particular importance to combating the illegal import of timber and recognises the
need for the EU to contribute to global efforts to tackle the problem of illegal logging.

Council bodies are therefore currently studying the Communication from the Commission on Forest Law
Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), which contains an EU Action Plan aimed notably at
combating illegal logging and the associated trade in illegal timber.

In the conclusions adopted on 13 October 2003, the Council considered that there was an urgent need for
the EU and its Member States to enter into a political dialogue with the countries most directly concerned
to instigate forest sector governance reforms and, more specifically, to engage the private sector of the
timber producing countries with a view to building a consensus on how best to tackle the problem of
illegal logging and the associated trade, in particular by exploring multilateral and regional responses and
by studying the ideas developed in the Action Plan at the appropriate international meetings, such as the
UNFF (United Nations Forum on Forests), the ITTO (International Tropical Timber Organization), the
regional FLEG processes, the Asia Forest Partnership and the Congo Basin Forest Partnership.

Furthermore, in its conclusions the Council invited the Commission to study the measures in the Action
Plan, including the drawing up of a Regulation, and to review options for, and the feasibility of, further
legislation to control imports of illegally harvested timber and conflict timber, taking account of relevant
initiatives in other areas, as well as the impact on domestic industries.

(2004/C 78 E/0795)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2614/03

by Albert Maat (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(28 August 2003)

Subject: Planting of vineyards with the help of EU funds

Is the Commission aware that in the Spanish winegrowing area of Toro, vineyards are being planted (with
irrigation) with the help of EU funds?

Does this policy not conflict with the restriction of surplus overproduction in viticulture? (1)

(1) See article in the magazine Perswijn, volume 16, issue 4 July 2003.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(17 September 2003)

Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in
wine (1) provides for a system of restructuring and conversion of Community vineyards to improve the
adjustment of production to market demand.

C 78 E/748

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

Under that system, an instrument for funding restructuring and conversion operations was introduced in
2000 under a budget managed by the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)
Guarantee Section.

That budget is shared out among the various Member States by the Commission on the basis of the criteria
laid down in the Council Regulation and its use is strictly governed by Commission Regulation (EC)
No 1227/2000 of 31 May 2000 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC)
No 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine, as regards production potential (2).

Therefore the Commission is fully aware of the information to which the Honourable Member refers.

The vineyard restructuring and conversion policy is part of a wine production potential management
strategy.

This is why, to prevent the qualitative restructuring of vineyards from having a quantitative impact on the
volume of production, the Community rules include a number of safeguards, such as restrictions on vine
yields, rules on the transfer of replanting rights between holdings, and the specific problem of vine
irrigation. These provisions are applied by the Member States concerned and are verified and checked by
the Commission.

(1) OJ L 179, 14.7.1999.
(2) OJ L 143, 16.6.2000.

(2004/C 78 E/0796)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2616/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(25 August 2003)

Subject: Exclusion of feta cheese, ouzo and Kalamata olives from the list of products with geographical

indications of origin to be negotiated at the WTO

The Article 133 Committee has excluded the Greek products of feta cheese, ouzo and Kalamata olives
from the list of products with geographical indications of origin to be negotiated at the WTO.

Given that this exclusion is tantamount to discrimination against vitally important Greek products that are
recognised not only in Europe but throughout the world, will the Commission say:

1. why the abovementioned Greek products, which have been recognised as being of protected
geographical origin, have not been included in the list of such products to be discussed at Cancun,
Mexico?

2. what provisions on the recognition of products with geographical indications of origin have been

included in the agreement on agricultural trade between the EU and USA (13 August 2003)?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(18 September 2003)

1.
On 27 August 2003 the Council’s Article 133 Committee endorsed the list of geographical
indications which the European Union will soon be submitting to the World Trade Organisation (WTO),
the objective being to prevent misuse of these names at international level. The list contains 41 names, two
of which are Greek (cid:1) ‘feta’ and ‘ouzo’.