Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the  Proposal for a Council Regulation on the common organisation of the market in hops (COM (2005) 386 final — 2005/0162 (CNS))
Date: 2005-10-27
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: common organisation of markets, hops

C 28/82

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

3.2.2006

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Council Regu-
lation on the common organisation of the market in hops’

(COM (2005) 386 final — 2005/0162 (CNS))

(2006/C 28/16)

On 21 September 2005 the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee,
under Article 36 and the second and third paragraphs of Article 37, of the Treaty establishing the Euro-
pean Community, on the abovementioned proposal.

On 27 September 2005, the Committee Bureau instructed the Section for Agriculture, Rural Development
and the Environment to prepare the Committee's work on the subject.

In view of the urgency of the work, the European Economic and Social Committee appointed Mr Kienle as
rapporteur-general at its 421st plenary session, held on 26 and 27 October 2005 (meeting of 27 October
2005), and adopted the following opinion with 63 votes in favour, and 3 abstentions.

1. Overview of the EESC's position

1.1
The EESC supports the European Commission's proposal
to replace the various regulations on the common organisation
of the market in hops with a single new regulation.

2. Comments

Council Regulation (EEC) No 1696/71 of 26 July 1971
2.1
on the common organisation of the market in hops has under-
gone many extensive changes since it was introduced. It helps
to make Community rules clearer and more accessible if regula-
tions that are no longer relevant are repealed and replaced by a
new regulation based on a consolidated version of the old regu-
lations.

2.2
Lately, the EESC has issued several opinions on the orga-
nisation of the hops market (1). In its most recent opinion on
this matter, of 26 February 2004, the Committee was of the
view that it was ‘consistent’ and made ‘sense’ following the CAP
reform (Luxembourg decisions) of 2003 for direct payments

for hops to also be integrated into the general regulation for
direct payments.

The EESC would also like to point out in this opinion
2.3
that hops (humulus lupulus) are an essential raw material in
beer production and are produced in eight EU Member States
mainly by small specialised family farms with an average of less
than eight hectares. European hop producers have managed to
leaders. The
consolidate their position as world market
common organisation of the market in hops has successfully
dealt with the major market adjustments of recent years. It has
accepted and promoted the comprehensive system of quality
control and contracts which is indispensable for successful
production and marketing. The system is the responsibility of
producer groups, which are the ‘heart and soul’ of the organisa-
tion of the market in hops. These principles should be retained
in the new organisation of the market as well.

2.4
The EESC would like to point out that expenditure on
the hop sector has remained stable for years at around EUR 13
million.

Brussels, 27 October 2005

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Anne-Marie SIGMUND

(1) OJ C 110, 30.4.2004, pp. 116-124.

OJ C 80, 30.3.2004, p. 46.
OJ C 193, 10.7.2001, pp. 38-39.