CELEX: 51988PC0284(01)
Language: en
Date: 1988-06-02
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC ) INTRODUCING A COMMON MEASURE FOR THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF OLIVE GROVES DAMAGED BY FROST IN CERTAIN REGIONS OF GREECE IN 1987

12. 7. 88                             Official Journal of the European Communities                             No C 182/9
                                                              II
                                                      (Preparatory Acts)
                                                 COMMISSION
              Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) introducing a common measure for the re-estab-
                     lishment of olive groves damaged by frost in certain regions of Greece in 1987
                                                     COM(88) 284 final
                               (Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 7 June 1988)
                                                        (88/C 182/06)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                          Whereas the re-establishment of olive groves must
                                                                  guarantee the maintenance of a high level of quality or
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European             an improvement in quality by the use of better varieties
Economic Community, and in particular Article 43                  where the level of quality is not yet satisfactory;
thereof,
                                                                  Whereas, in order to ensure that these measures achieve
                                                                  maximum effectiveness, it is essential that they form part
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
                                                                  of a programme for the re-establishment of olive groves
                                                                  drawn up by Greece;
Having regard      to   the   opinion   of   the   European
Parliament,                                                       Whereas it should be laid down that this package of
                                                                  measures constitutes a common measure within the
Whereas, in order to attain the objectives of the common          meaning of Article 6 of Council Regulation (EEC) No
agricultural policy set out in Article 39 (1) (a) and (b) of      729/70 of 21 April 1970 on the financing of the common
the Treaty, assistance must be provided for the structural        agricultural policy ('), as last amended by Regulation
improvement of agriculture in regions which are facing            (EEC) No 3183/87 ( 2 ); whereas the expenditure incurred
serious problems;                                                 by Greece should be financed by the Community at the
                                                                  rate of 40 % in view of the limited financial resources of
Whereas, in certain regions of Greece, olive trees have           that Member State,
been destroyed or seriously damaged by exceptionally
severe and protracted frost and whereas such damage               HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
has been even greater in certain exposed areas;
                                                                                           Article 1
Whereas, in those areas in particular, olive-growing
represents the only economic way of using the soil and            1.    In order to make good the damage caused to olive-
accordingly steps should be taken to encourage the re-            growing by frost in Greece during the winter of
establishment of olive groves under certain conditions, in        1986/87, a common measure within the meaning of
order to ensure the survival of farming while preventing          Article 6 of Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 is hereby
any threat of soil erosion or disturbance of the water            introduced which shall be of an exceptional nature.
balance, to protect the environment and to preserve the
landscape;                                                        2.    The common measure shall be implemented in
                                                                  areas where:
Whereas such encouragement should take the form of a
                                                                  — olive-growing accounts for a major share of agri-
system of investment aids together with additional aid to
                                                                      cultural production, and
compensate olive growers for their loss of income, taking
into consideration special conditions which must be met           — at least 50 % of the olive trees were seriously
by beneficiaries;                                                     damaged by frost during the winter of 1986/87.
                                                                      However, to qualify for the measures for the re-
Whereas, at the same time, the re-establishment of olive              establishment of olive groves, holdings must have
groves should help improve competitiveness by reducing                suffered considerable damage corresponding to at
production costs; whereas, therefore, with due regard for             least 20 % of the number of their olive trees.
the existing structures in Greece, more advantageous
conditions should be laid down where the re-estab-
lishment is carried out under a collective scheme                 (') OJ No L 94, 28. 4. 1970, p. 13.
involving several holdings;                                       (2) OJ No L 304, 27. 10. 1987, p. 1.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 182/10                            Official Journal of the European Communities                                    12. 7. 88
A list of the regions with areas that may satisfy the             — in the case of individual re-establishment schemes:
criteria set out in the first subparagraph, without                   the priority areas for re-establishment and the
prejudice to the provisions laid down in the third                    varieties recommended for each region, and the
subparagraph, is given in the Annex.                                  minimum rules to be applied in order to ensure an
                                                                      improvement in olive-growing conditions,
In accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
2 (5), the Commission may decide not to apply the level           — the amount of aid to be granted to the olive grower
of 50 °/o referred to in the second indent of the first               depending on the method of re-establishment,
subparagraph in exceptional cases where the need for                  whether collective or individual, and the production
such an exception is clearly shown by the great diversity             aptitude of the olive trees to be re-established, and
of the landscape making it difficult to demarcate the                 on the economic situation of the olive grower in the
areas.                                                                case of the aid referred to in Article 1 (3) (b),
3.     In accordance with Article 4 the Community shall           — the estimated cost broken down by type of measure,
make a contribution towards the common measure by                     the economic reasons justifying the schemes and the
financing out of the Guidance Section of the European                 financial resources required, with details of the
Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, hereinafter                 proposed schedule of payments,
called 'the Fund', measures involving:
                                                                  — the measures taken to ensure that the programme is
(a) collective or individual schemes for re-establishing              financed and that the aid is granted to olive growers
     olive groves affected by frost;                                  within an appropriate period.
(b) aid granted to farmers whose income, including any            2.    The programme and any updating amendments
     earned away from the holding, does not exceed a              shall be forwarded to the Commission by the Greek
     certain threshold which shall be defined in the              Government.
     programme referred to in Article 2, for attaining the
     objectives which are linked with the schemes referred
                                                                  3.    At the request of the Commission, Greece shall
     to in point (a), in compliance with the conditions
                                                                  provide additional information concerning the particulars
     laid down in Articles 3 and 4 (2).
                                                                  required under paragraph 1.
                          Article 2                               4.    The duration of the programme shall be at least the
                                                                  same as that of the common measure.
 1.    The Greek Government shall draw up before 1
October 1988 a programme containing the most appro-
priate ways of carrying out the measures referred to in           5.    The Commission shall approve the programme and
Article 1.                                                        any updating amendments to it in accordance with the
                                                                  procedure laid down in Article 25 of Council Regulation
                                                                  (EEC) No 797/85 (') after consulting the Fund
The.programme shall provide in particular the following
                                                                  Committee on the financial aspects.
information:
— a description of the existing situation, the importance                                    Article 3
     of olive-growing in the various regions in terms of
     gross agricultural product, the nature of the damage         1.     For the purposes of this Regulation, 'collective
     caused by the frost and particularly of its regional         schemes for the re-establishment of olive groves' means
     distribution,                                                any re-establishment operation carried out by farmers
                                                                  under a binding agreement between the farmers partici-
                                                                  pating in the operation and the authority responsible for
— a definition of the supervisory measures to ensure              implementing it.
     that the aids for the re-establishment of olive groves
     granted to olive growers who have suffered the
     damage referred to in Article 1 (1) meet the                 Collective re-establishment schemes shall concern at least
     requirements laid down in paragraph 2 of that                5 000 olive trees and 25 farmers who are members of an
     Article,                                                     olive-growers' cooperative or producer group or a
                                                                  recognized association with a similar purpose, which
                                                                  shall specify the measures necessary for re-establishment.
— in the case of collective re-establishment schemes: the         These bodies shall be authorized to lay down additional
     area to be re-established and the varieties recom-           rules in order to achieve more readily the objectives set
     mended for each region, the mandatory overall plan           out in paragraph 3.
     to be followed by all olive growers involved; and
     back-up measures concerned in particular with soil
     improvement and drainage work connected with the
     collective scheme,                                            0) OJ No L 93, 30. 3. 1985, p. 1.
 ---pagebreak---  12. 7. 88                             Official Journal of the European Communities                              No C 182/11
In accordance with the procedure laid down in Article             2.    Expenditure incurred in respect of the aid referred
2 (5) the Commission may, in exceptional circumstances,           to in Article 1 (3) (b) shall be eligible under the Fund for
determine a smaller minimum number of trees to be                 an amount of 3 ECU on average per year and per tree
replanted or a smaller minimum number of participants             within a limit of 5 ha or 1 500 trees per individual
in a collective scheme than those provided for in the             holding, such aid being granted for a maximum period
second subparagraph where the need for such a                     of:
reduction is duly substantiated on the basis of the
programme.                                                        — five years in the case of replanting or sawing off at
                                                                      the base of the trunk,
2.     For the purposes of this Regulation, 'individual
schemes for the re-establishment of olive groves' means
any re-establishment operation carried out by farmers in         — three years in the case of the sawing off of the main
respect of not less than 50 olive trees or 0,3 ha per                 branches.
holding.
Greece shall lay down rules with a view to achieving             The aid may be granted in degressive instalments.
more readily the objectives set out in paragraph 3.
                                                                  In the case of re-establishment by sawing off the
3.     Schemes for the re-establishment of olive groves           secondary branches only, expenditure incurred in respect
shall be eligible only if:                                        of the aid referred to in Article 1 (3) (b) shall be eligible
(a) they help restore the landscape in typical olive-             under the Fund for a maximum total amount of 5 ECU
     growing     areas,    safeguard    the    environment,      per tree within a limit of 5 ha or 1 500 trees per indi-
     consolidate the soil and regulate the water regime;         vidual holding.
(b) they contribute to a lasting improvement of working
     conditions on the holdings concerned and thus allow          However, in the case of collective schemes for the re-
     earned incomes to increase;                                  establishment of olive groves, the amount referred to in
                                                                 the first and third subparagraphs may be increased by
(c) they provide guarantees as to their economic effec-           20 %.
     tiveness;
(d) they guarantee the maintenance of a high level of
                                                                  3.    The Fund shall reimburse Greece 40 % of the
     quality or, where the level reached is not yet satis-
                                                                 eligible expenditure referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2.
     factory, an improvement in the quality of olive
                                                                  However, the eligibility of the re-establishment schemes
     products;
                                                                 referred to in paragraph 1 implies a minimum contri-
(e) they provide assurances that the average volume of           bution of 20 % by the beneficiary towards the total cost.
     olive oil produced will not exceed that produced
     prior to the period in which the frost damage
     occurred.                                                   4.     The total estimated cost to the Fund of the
                                                                 common measure is 73 million ECU.
                           Article 4
1.     Expenditure incurred in respect of the measures            5.    The duration of the common measure shall be two
provided for in Article 1 (3) (a) shall be eligible for aid      years with effect from the date of approval of the
from the Fund up to a maximum of:                                programme referred to in Article 2 and shall expire in all
                                                                 cases on 31 December 1990.
—- 4 300 ECU per ha in the case of total re-estab-
    lishment,
     or                                                                                     Article 5
— 13 ECU per tree where re-establishment is carried              When approving the programme referred to in Article 2,
    out on a major part only of the area in question, as         the Commission shall, in agreement with Greece,
    determined by taking into consideration the                  determine the procedure by which it is to be informed at
    conditions laid down in the second indent of the first       regular intervals of the implementation of the
    subparagraph of Article 1 (2) together with those in         programme.
    Article 3 (1) and (2),
    and                                                                                     Article 6
— 11 ECU per tree where the re-establishment scheme
    involves sawing the tree off at the base of the trunk,        1.    Applications for reimbursement shall concern
                                                                 expenditure incurred by Greece during a calendar year
    or                                                           and shall be presented to the Commission before 1 May
— 8 ECU where the re-establishment scheme involves               of the following year.
    sawing off the main and secondary branches.
The aids for re-establishment referred to in the first           2.     Decisions on the grant of aid from the Fund shall
subparagraph may not, however, exceed the costs                  be taken in accordance with Article 7 (1) of Regulation
actually incurred.                                               (EEC) No 729/70.
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 182/12                           Official Journal of the European Communities                                 12. 7. 88
3.    Advances in respect of work done may be made in                                         Article 7
accordance with the financing procedure adopted by
Greece and by reference to the state of progress of the             This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day
work referred to in Article 1 (3) (a).                              following its publication in the Official Journal of the
                                                                    European Communities.
4.    Detailed rules for the application of this Article
shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid              This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and
down in Article 13 of Regulation (EEC) No 729/70.                   directly applicable in all Member States.
                                                            ANNEX
                                                       Geographical scope
                                                      Prefectures of:
                                                     —    Akhaia
                                                     —    Magnisia
                                                     —    Ewia
                                                     —    Lakonia
                                                     —    Arkadia
                                                     —    Korinthia
                                                      —   Messinia
                                                      —   Fthiotida
                                                      —   Lesvos
                                                      —   Argolida
               Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 2511/69 laying down
                  special measures for improving the production and marketing of Community citrus fruit
                                                      COM(88) 284 final
                               (Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 7 June 1988)
                                                         (88/C 182/07)
 THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                            programme approved        by    the Commission   on    21
                                                                     November 1983;
 Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
 Economic Community, and in particular Article 43
 thereof,                                                            Whereas citrus plantations in certain regions of Greece
                                                                     were destroyed or seriously damaged by particularly
                                                                     severe and protracted frosts during the winter of
 Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,                  1986/87 which, to a large extent, have jeopardized the
                                                                     results obtained and the progress of the plan being
                                                                     implemented; whereas, accordingly, the re-establishment
 Having regard       to   the opinion   of    the  European
                                                                     of the plantations concerned should, subject to certain
 Parliament,
                                                                     conditions, be encouraged in order to ensure the survival
                                                                     of farming in the affected regions;
 Whereas, pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC) N o
 2511/69 ( l ), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) N o
 3130/86 (2), Greece has implemented its plan laying                 Whereas such re-establishment should maintain quality
 down special measures for improving the production and              at a high level or improve it by using the best varieties
 marketing of citrus fruit in accordance with the                    available where the level of quality does not yet meet
                                                                     consumer requirements; whereas damaged plantations
                                                                     should therefore be re-established by means of
 0) OJ No L 318, 18. 12. 1969, p. 1.                                 conversion schemes where the varieties grown prior to
 (2) OJ No L 292, 16. 10. 1986, p. 5.                                the frosts did not meet consumer requirements;