CELEX: 51979PC0347
Language: en
Date: 1979-07-02
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL REGULATION ESTABLISHING A SYSTEM OF AID FOR THE MARKETING OF AUBERGINES GROWN IN THE FRENCH ANTILLES (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (79) 347
Vol. 1979/0126
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 ---pagebreak---    COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                COM ( 79 ) 347 final
                                                Brussels - 2nd July 1979
                          PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL REGULATION
                  ESTABLISHING A SYSTEM OF AID FOR THE MARKETING
                     OF AUBERGINES GROWN IN THE    FRENCH ANTILLES
                   ( submitted to the Council by the Commission )
                                  -        ..     'Λ
                             k
                             rr. .• '
                                           U  :
COM ( 79 ) 347 final
 ---pagebreak---                              EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Subject :  Proposal for a Council Regulation establishing a system of aid for
           the Marketing of aubergines grown in the French Antilles .
1.   Aubergine production in the West Indies is almost entirely absorbed by the
     European Markets and the French market in particular : all exports go
     towards France , where soae 80X are consumed , and the remainder is shipped
     onwards to other countries . In 1975 / 76 and 1976/77 West Indies aubergines
     represented 71% and 57X respectively of overall French imports and        reached
     only 46% in 1977 /78 .
     Aubergine production is of substantial importance for the Antilles as it
   - provides a further source of income in addition to the traditional single
     crops ( sugar cane , bananas ) and provides supplementary employment for the
     agricultural labour force .
     In order that this crop should not compete with the European field scale
     production , it is restricted to a period from October to June .      /  - •
     During this period, products from Martinique and Guadaloupe are subject to
     competition from Spanish and Israeli aubergines .
2.   Within the Community, only Italy, France and the Netherlands have any
     significant output^ and most of this comes from field scale cultivation
     in Italy .
     The main production period is that of the field scale harvest from June to
     November and the table following shows that three-quarters of Italian and
     French output is harvested from July to October .
 Production     :    Italy           330 / 350 000 tonnes including 30 000 under glass
 ( 1977 esti­        France           30 / 35 000  tonnes
 mate                Netherlands       4 / 5 000   tonnes under glass
 ---pagebreak--- Percentage of production by month in 1976
                          I    II   III   IV    V    VI     VII VII  IX    X    XI XII
   ITALY
   ( - field scale                                   3.6 23.5 26.8 26.3 15.4   4.5
                                                        I
   ( - greenhouse        3.5  7.9   6.9 17.4 25.6 31.5      7.2
   Part total            0.9  2.0   1.8   4.5  6.6 10.7 19.3 19.9 19.5 11.5    3.3
   FRANCE                1.3  1.2   2.5   3.0  3.5   5.5 15.0 30.0 26.0 11.0   1.0
   PART TOTAL ,          1.1  1.6   2.1   3.8  5.0   8.1 17.2 24.9 22.8 11.3   2.1  Μ»
   FRANCE + ITALY
The table in the Annex shows that the French market is growing but that the share
enjoyed by Antilles production is falling constantly :
                                                          ι
          - 71% of a total of     6 700 tonnes in 1975 / 76
          - 57% of a total of '■ 9 700 tonnes in 1976 / 77
          - 46% of a total of 12 000 tonnes in 1977 / 78
The figures given in the Annex show particularly clearly the extent of competition
from non-member countries which has moved from some 16% in 1975 / 76 up to more
than 44% in 1977 / 78;   the main suppliers are Spain and Israel . .
                                                                                         ν
It should also be pointed out that , during March and April 1978, imports from
Spain and Israel have risen very sharply compared with imports in previous
years . From 27 February to 1 May deliveries to metropolitan France were as follows
          Spain        :             1078 tonnes ( as against    145 in 1977 )
          Israel       :               218 tonnes ( as against    11 in 1977)
          Antilles     :             1629 tonnes ( as against 1865 in 1977 )
Altogether, 3096 tonnes have been delivered to the market as against 2250 in 1977 .
This has caused a crash in the rates for West Indies aubergines and a reduction
in consignments for April . This situation, indeed, justified the application of
protective measures with regard to Spanish imports for the period between 8 May
and 21 June 1978 .                                                                     '
 ---pagebreak---                                     - 3 -
This new competition from non-member countries * produce can only increase in
the future and represent an insuperable handicap for marketing aubergines from
the French overseas departments which suffer particular difficulties compared
with Mediterranean production .
The sub-tropical climate of these two departments requires more intensive plant
health protection for cultivating these products , which means a greater number
of treatments than in the Mediterranean production areas .     In addition the
length of the sea journey for products intended for the' European market means
that particularly careful packaging is required so that the products may
remain in a perfectly fresh condition until the time . they are made available to
consumers , which is only after some 20 days after harvest .
Cost comparison ( plant health treatment and packaging ) in metropolitan France
and in the Antilles ( FF / kg )
1.  France
    • Plant health products •                     0.05 F / kg
    . Labour                                      0.02 F / kg
    . Amortization of plant                       0.05 F / kg
                                                  0.12 F / kg Chemical treatment
    . Wooden case                                 0.23 F / kg
    . Card sheet                                  0.004 F / F / kg
    . Wrappers                                    0.023 F:kg
    . Labels                                      0.003 F / kg
                                                  0.260 F / kg Packaging materials
    Total 0.38 F / kg
2 . Antilles
    . Plant health products                       0.24 F / kg
    . Labour                                      0.04 F / kg
    . Amortization of plant                       0.05 F / kg
                                                  0.33 F / kg Chemical treatment
 ---pagebreak---                                          - 4 -
    . Carton                                             0.27 F / kg
    . Fi Im                                              0.18 F / kg
    . Bundling - staples                                 0.05 F / kg
    . Packing in container                               0.10 F / kg
                                                         0.60 F / kg Packaging materials
    Total : 0.93 F / kg .
The additional cost for these two items , packaging and chemical treatment / which
aubergines from the Antilles undergo , represents some 0.55 F / kg .
In these circumstances it is proposed , in order to compensate for the difficulties
listed above , to grant an aid for aubergines produced in Guadaloupe and
Martinique and marketed on the Community markets in Europe , at a flat rate for
                                                                       1
the 1979 / 80 marketing year of 0.55 F / kg , or 8.84 u.a. / 100 kg , or 10.69 ECU / 100 kg .
The expenditure resulting from application of this Regulation , to be supported
by the Community in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 3 of
Regulation ( EEC ) No 729 / 70 of 21 April 1970 , may be forecast as follows :
                                   Aid pro­                                  Expenditure
   Origin : French overseas                    Quant ity
                                   posed per concerned               X
                                                                               by the
   departments ( aubergines )
                                   100 kg net                                  EAGGF ,
                                                 tonnes
                                     u.a .                                      u.a .
   . 1975 / 76 marketing year                     4792
   . 1976 / 77 marketing year                     5512       + 15
                                                                13 75 / 76
   . 1977 / 78 marketing year                     5599       +1
                                                             +1 * A6 76777
                                                                     77 / 78
   . 1978 / 79 marketinggyear                     5710       +     2 –
                                      tm
                                                                   d 77 / 78
                   ( forecast )
   . 1979 / 80 marketing year       88.4          6064       + 6.2
      ( forecast , 5710 + 6.2% )                             ( Average of
                                                             the 3 pre­        536 058
                                                             vious years
      or ECU                       106.87                                      638 060
1
  On the basis of the conversion rate for the agricultural UA in force from
  22 May 1978 .
 ---pagebreak---                                           IMPORT INTO METROPOLITAN FRANCE                                  ANNEX
                                                    AUBERGINES
Source :    Economic Committee for Fruit and Vegetables
            in the French Antilles                                                                         tonnes
   1975 / 76 marketing year        October November December January February  Marcn   Apri l     May       June  TOTAL     %
           ORIGIN
 ANTILLES                           72.5     237.2    359.6    289.5  538.6    956.1  1015.1     832.1     491.3  4792    71
                                                                                                        i
 SPAIN                              53.8     148.7     79.7     53.0                                        82.0   417     6.2
 CANARIES                                     18.1     28.8     13.5    0.4              5.4      27.7      37.7   131      1.9
 ISRAEL                                       32.4     18.5      0.5                                         10.0   61     0.9
                                                                                              l
 TOTAL NON-MEMBER COUNTRIES         53.8     250.2    240.8    114.2   34.3     48.6    35.7 |    52.9     178.4  1062    15.8
                                                                                              i
 TOTAL IMPORTS WORLDWIDE           232.8     617.2    628.9    419.3  613.8   1074.6  1099.2    1033.0
                                                                                                        I
                                                                                                           979.5  6698
                                                                                                                        i
                                                                                                                                Ί
 % ANTILLES                         31%       38%      57%      69%    87%      89%     92%       80%       50%
   1976/ 77 marketing year         October November December January February  March   Apri l     May       June  TOTAL    %
           ORIGIN
 ANTILLES                           35.6     177.1    379.0    417.8  719.3    793 .- 1071.8    1168.5     750.5  5512
 SPAIN                             326.0     362 .-   123 .-    24.7            35 .-  110 .-    258 .-   1164 .- 2402    25
 CANARIES                                     15.3     52.3    116.6   61.6     35.8    14.1       9.4             305     3
  ISRAEL                            41 .-     89 .-    60 .-     3.5             4.5     6 .-                 2.5  206     2
                                 ι
 TOTAL NON-MEMBER COUNTRIES        367.5     553.3    250.3    152.1   81.8    146.0   184.5     309.1    1268.6  3313    34.2
 TOTAL IMPORTS WORLDWIDE           577.5     788.5    653.6    624.7  805.9    939 .- 1310.9    1622.3    2363.1  9684
  % ANTILLES                         6.1%     22%      58%      67%    90%      85%     82%       72%       31%
 ---pagebreak---                                     IMPORT INTO METROPOLITAN FRANCE                               ANNEX ( cont .)
                                              AUBERGINES
                                                                                          tonnes
   1977/ 78 marketing year   October November December January February  March   Apri l   May      June     TOTAL  %
          ORIGIN
  ANTILLES                   108.1     592.0    423.7    428.5  769.5    955.6   673.1  1011.9    637 .-    5599  46
  SPAIN                      301 .-    389 .-   179 .-   112 .- 147 .-   401 .-  677 .-  198.0   1298 .-    3702  30
                                                                                                         I
  CANARIES                              58.4    116 .-    5      88.9     38 .-   22 .-    5.0               382   3
  ISRAEL                      42.1     345 .-   305 .     64.9   88.4    159.2    58.6     0.9     52.6     1116   9
  TOTAL NON-MEMBER COUNTRIES 344.9     814.1    620.6    262.7  341.4    586.7   769.7   275.2   1398.4     5414  44.3
  TOTAL IMPORTS WORLDWIDE    595.4    1791.5   1113.6    696.6 1113.7   1585.1  1511.3  1493.2  2318.4     12 219
| % ANTILLES                  18%       33%      38%      61%    69%      60%     44%     67%      27%
 ---pagebreak---                            Proposal for a
               COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC )
establishing a system of aid for the marketing of aubergines grown
in the French Antilles
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community / and
in particular Article 43 thereof .
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament ,
Whereas Guadeloupe and Martinique have developed production of aubergines
with the aim of supplying the Community market in Europe outside the season ;
whereas this crop could be further developed , thereby creating a further . source
of income for the populations of these two departments ;
Whereas in view of the sub-tropical climate of these two departments , growing
aubergines requires more intensive plant health measures , and therefore a
greater number of treatments than in the European production areas ;
Whereas the product intended for the European market / on account of the length
of the sea voyage , has to be particularly carefully packed , which substantially
increases the cost price of the product as delivered to the European markets
for consumption ;
 ---pagebreak---              1
                                    - 2 -
 Whereas , in order to remedy these special difficulties , an aid should be
 granted for aubergines produced in Guadeloupe and in Martinique and brought
 into the European territory of the Community , to cover the additional costs
 borne by these aubergines in respect of plant health treatment and packaging ;
 Whereas the expenditure incurred by the Member States as a result of obli­
 gations arising from application of this Regulation are to be borne by the
 Community , in accordance with Article 3 of Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 729 / 70
                                                                       1
 of 21 April 1970 on the financing of the common agricultural policy , as last
 amended by Regulation (EEC ) No 2788/72^,
 Whereas rules for applying this Regulation should be adopted in accordance with
the procedure laid down in Article 33 of Council Regulation ( EEC ) N° 1035 / 72 of
 18 May 1972 on the common organization of the market in fruit and vegetables ( 3 )
                                   Article 1
 1.   Sellers established in Guadeloupe and in Martinique shall qualify , under
      the conditions hereinafter defined , for financial compensation for
      aubergines produced in those departments and placed on the market for
      consumption within the European territory of a Member State of the
      Community .
 2.   The marketing year for aubergines cultivated within these departments
      shall extend from 1 October to 30 June .
                                   Article 2
 The amount of the financial compensation shall not exceed the additional charges
 borne by aubergines cultivated in Guadeloupe and in Martinique compared with
 those cultivated within the Community 's European territory, in respect of plant
 health treatment , packaging and packing .
 loJ No L 94, 28. A. 1970, p . 13
  0J No L 295 , 30.12.1972 , p . 1
   0J Nb L 118, 20.5.1972 , p. 1
 ---pagebreak---                                   Article 3
1.  For the 1979 / 80 marketing year , the amount of the financial compensation
    is hereby fixed at 10.69 ECU per 100 kilograms net .
2.  For subsequent marketing years , the amount of the financial compensation
    shall be fixed before the beginning of each marketing year in accordance
    with the procedure laid down in Article 43(2 ) of the Treaty .
                                  Article 4
The financial compensation shall be paid to the sellers , at their request , as
soon as evidence has been furnished that the product in question has been
placed on the market for consumption within the European territory of a Member
State of the Community within the period referred to in Article 1(2 ).
                                  Article 5
Detailed rules for applying this Regulation shall be adopted in accordance
with the procedure laid down in Article 33 of Regulation ( EEC ) No 1035 /72 .
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in
all Member States .
Done at Brussels ,                                     For the Counci I
                                                        The President
 ---pagebreak---                   FINANCIAL              STATEMENT
                                                                               ■ Date *    H.5.I979
  1 . BUDGET HEADING :        6819                                          APPROPRIATIONS : token entry
  2. TITLE s Proposal for a Counoil Regulation : system of aid for the marketing of
                aubergines grown in the Rrench Antilles
  3. LEGAL BASIS :          Art . 43 of the EEC Treaty
  «. AIMS OF PROJE t XN-Troduotion of a marketing aid to make it possible for growers
       in Guadeloupe and Martinique to sell their aubergines at competitive prices
       on EEC markets
                                              PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS  CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR FOLLOWING FINANCIAL YEAR '   I
  5.0 EXPENDITURE
                                                                          <   79    >           ( 80 »               . I
       - CHARGED TO THE EC BUDGET
         ( REFUNDS / INTERVENTIONS )
       - NATIONAL ADMINISTRATION
                                                0.6 m * ua              0*1 m * ua                 0.6 m » ua
I      - OTHER
1 5.1 RECEIPTS
I
       - OWN RESOURCES OF THE EC
         ( LEVIES / CUSTOMS DUTIES )
       - NATIONAL
                                                                J
                                                   1981          .   1982''           1983 .
  5.0.1 ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE                  0*6 m . ua          0*6 m.ua         0.6 m * ua
  5.1.1 ESTIMATED RECEIPTS
  5.2 METHOD OF CALCULATION          ^ of 10,69 ECU/100 kg
       Quantity- concerned t 6064 tonnes « aid of 648*242 ECU or 606.956 HJA
       See also page 3 of the explanatory memorandum
  6.0 CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED FROM APPROBATIONS ENTERED IN THE RELEVANT CHAPTER OF THE CURRENT BUDGET ^
                                                                                                             XSHt'NO
  6.1 CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED BY TRANSFER BETWEEN CHAPTERS OF THE CURRENT BUDGET ?
                                                                                                              YES / ND
  6.2 ifficic^icBeaffiiExifiXKXiaxaacBScaiKxaBsxxx
                                                                                                             ysuxjm
  6.3 WILL FUTURE BUDGET APPROBATIONS BE NECESSARY ?        ...             •
                                                                                                              YES / NS
  OBSERVATIONS s                                           „