WRITTEN QUESTION E-3226/03 by Felipe Camisón Asensio (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Reform of the tobacco sector.
Date: 2003-10-31
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: aid system, common agricultural policy, production aid, sustainable agriculture, tobacco

C 78 E/494

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

Concerning the Resolution (1) of the Council
inviting the Commission to have a study drawn up on
missing or sexually exploited children, an action under the STOP II programme was undertaken in
2002 (2). The first part of the project involves a study on the actual extent of the phenomenon of missing
or sexually exploited children. The second part of the project aims to give an overall view on the existence,
role and structure of civil society organisations in the Member States actively supporting action on missing
or sexually exploited children. The third part of the project examines the legal issues arising from the
involvement of civil society organisations in the Member States actively combatting the disappearance and
sexual exploitation of children,
the issues concerning competent authorities sending
confidential information to such organisations. The final report is expected by 31 March 2004.

in particular

With regard to the recommendation made at the European Conference on Preventing and Combating
Trafficking in Human Beings held in Brussels in September 2002 that a feasibility study be conducted on
the establishment of a European database for missing people and reiterated by the Parliament in its
resolution (3) on the Daphne II programme, a response to this was made in the explanatory memorandum
of the amended proposal of the Commission on Daphne II (4). This response was that,
in fact, the
possibility for searching missing people, and children in particular, already exists in the current Schengen
Information System (SIS) (see also Article 97 of the Schengen Convention). Within the development of the
second generation of the SIS, this possibility will be maintained. The Commission is therefore of the
opinion that, given the current functionalities of the SIS, it is not opportune to examine the creation of an
additional specific system that would merely duplicate the current system and would generate significant
additional costs.

(1) OJ C 283, 9.10.2001.
(2) project 2002/STOP II/108.
(3) P5_TA(2003)0366 (cid:1) A5-0280/2003.
(4) COM(2003) 616 final.

(2004/C 78 E/0515)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3226/03

by Felipe Camisón Asensio (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(31 October 2003)

Subject: Reform of the tobacco sector

The Commission is proposing a considerable reduction in the direct aid received by the Community’s
tobacco producers, a cutback that is not echoed in any of the sectors recently reformed or awaiting
reform. In the case of Spain, those affected calculate that, following this reform, they will receive an
average of only 45 % of the total sum of direct aid from which they currently benefit, as the remaining
55 % will end up funding the restructuring measures. This cut in direct aid could threaten not only the
survival of many farms, but also the future of tobacco production and the industries that make a living
from it, with serious consequences for employment in regions like Extremadura, which are highly
dependent on this activity.

The Commission justifies the reform on health grounds, arguing that tobacco consumption must be
reduced. Since this is the noble aim of the Community’s executive, it would make sense if it had some idea
of what the drop in consumption would be following the reform of the sector. Can the Commission
provide any rough estimation? Furthermore, given that the reform does not affect tobacco imports, does
the Commission intend to introduce any tariff measures, for instance, to restrict imports to the EU?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(6 January 2004)

On 18 November 2003,
Organisation for Tobacco (1).

the Commission adopted the proposal

to reform the Common Market

The reform proposal includes a full decoupling of the present direct aid to tobacco producers in three
years.

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/495

The proposed reform will begin with the transfer of all or part of the current tobacco premium into
entitlements for the single farm payment. This transfer will be complete for producers who have up to
3,5 tons of production, and are the most vulnerable producers with limited possibilities to shift to other
crops. For the tranche between 3,5 tons up to 10 tons, 75 % of the current tobacco premium would be
incorporated into the single farm payment. The remaining 25 % would feed the proposed restructuring
envelope.

When implementing the reform for larger tobacco farms, the current tobacco premium, corresponding to
the tranche above 10 tons, will be decreased by one third at each of the first two one-year steps and will at
the third step be reduced to 45 % and incorporated into the single payment. In order to avoid major
changes in income at agricultural holding level
the remaining 55 % would be transferred to the
restructuring envelope. Those larger producers will have a partial reduction in aid, but their size has
better possibilities for a shift to other crops, and if this is the case they can in their reconversion benefit
from the structural envelope.

The budget allocations to the tobacco sector will remain the same and the part which is not distributed as
single payments will be transferred to a restructuring envelope. This will be utilised to contribute to
improve the infrastructure and support to tobacco producers in particular who want to shift to other
crops. In this respect, it should be noted that the funding in the envelope will be used in the tobacco
growing regions in those Member States where they are collected.

The foremost justification for the Commission when presenting this reform has been to seek a long term
perspective for the tobacco sector within the context of a sustainable agriculture. The 2003 Common
agricultural policy (CAP) Reform approach effectively breaks the link between product and support, such
that the single farm payment becomes a direct income support tool. On this basis, tobacco aid will be
included into the single farm payment along with the premiums for other crops such as hops, olive oil and
cotton. However, in addition, the Commission believes that greater coherence is needed, between the CAP
and the Union’s consumer, and public health policies. While the removal of product-related subsidies may
not directly influence the short term prevalence of cigarette smoking, as was the finding of a recent
Commission Extended Impact Assessment report (2), it is clear that a better coherence with public health
policies is essential to maintain the confidence and trust of Union citizens.

On the question of the possible introduction of tariff measures for tobacco, the Commission has no
intention and sees no reason to restrict imports of tobacco to the European Union.

(1) COM(2003) 698 final.
(2) COM(2003) 554 final also available on http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/capreform

(2004/C 78 E/0516)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3227/03

by John Bowis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(31 October 2003)

Subject: Indonesia

Will the Commission press the Indonesian Government to ensure access to national and international
observers to allow the UN Special Representative of Human Rights Defenders and the Special UN
Rapporteur on Torture access to Aceh, to investigate the disappearance of Abdussalam Muhmad Deli, a
volunteer of PB-HAM East Aceh (Pos Bantuan Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia, Human Rights and Legal
Aid Post) who has been missing since Sunday 11 May 2003, and the killing of Raja Ismail, working in
Aceh Tamiang district as a volunteer of PB-HAM East Aceh, and to protect the security of human rights
defenders in Aceh and ensure that they can carry out their legitimate and important work free from fear of
human rights violations?