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we have no data on this but have to be content with the rumours that 80 of aid would go to 20 of farmers |
amendment no 1 emphasised the importance of statistics in connection with enlargement towards the east |
this is a very important consideration that still means much work for the eu and the applicant countries |
the problems over statistics for the applicant countries will not be resolved through this report |
problems have continued since the land register began to function |
embarking on eastward enlargement without any information on its effect on the budget would be political suicide |
it does not help much though if our current data on expenditure is based on mistaken or unreliable data |
the most important aspect of statistical data on the european farmer is the reference yield |
when finland became a member as a result of poor yield in previous years we had to be satisfied with a figure that did not reflect the truth in normal years |
these reference yields should be raised to a realistic level as soon as possible or we should start to reconsider the whole basis of their use and the idea of a drop in the price of grain as compensation for hectarage aid |
we cannot undertake to subsidise producers in regions of highest yield in europe for years and years on account of price reductions that have sometimes taken place in the past |
the most obvious answer would be to harmonise hectarage aid as closely as possible within the whole territory of the eu |
mr president the eldr group supports this report |
mr president rapporteur everyone here agrees that we should highlight the need to have statistics for agriculture at a community level that are as precise as reliable and as coherent as possible so that we can effectively assess the consequences of decisions taken under the cap particularly on rural areas |
european agriculture is not uniform on the contrary it is extremely diverse |
it is therefore essential that statistics are accurate enough in terms of land and compiled in a harmonised way for us to be able to obtain judicious analyses by production type and by ecosystem |
in 1996 the european parliament adopted a report by mr jové perez whose proposals aimed to make european statistics much more accurate and reliable |
unfortunately the commission' s rather unambitious proposal that has been submitted to us has taken no account of it |
this is why we shall support all of the amendments put forward by the committee on agriculture and rural development as well as the one by mr jové perez |
indeed it seems essential to us that the wealth of information stemming from the implementation of the cap aid should be made use of as a source of statistics |
the cost to the community budget would be almost nothing and statistical secrecy would be guaranteed through the data being incorporated |
this is the concern that led our group to table an amendment yesterday concerning the traceability of beef and veal because as a result of the cap aid all animals in the european herd must be identified |
this applies to abattoirs too for reasons of food and animal safety |
i have not yet understood why the commission has not accepted that as of 1 january these two facts which have already been made compulsory across the community should be used to enable the operational start of traceability |
it is quite inconsistent to postpone the establishment of compulsory labelling of beef and veal for another year and at the same time to condemn france' s application of the precautionary principle precisely because there is no such compulsory labelling |
if the free movement of products is not accompanied by rigorous labelling consumers will think it is a confidence trick |
it is regrettable that commissioner byrne does not employ his zeal in the service of the health and the interest of european consumers |
mr president i too was under the impression that i would be talking about the regulation on hops but since the issue of statistics has arisen i feel it is my duty to address it |
as we all know statistics often have different interpretations which can mean just what we want them to mean |
if this is the case then inconsistent statistics will only exacerbate the problem |
this is why i also agree that statistics on the movement policies and trade of agricultural products must be as consistent as possible it would be ideal if each state did not statistically at least paint a different picture of our agricultural economy |
then despite any diverse interpretations we would at least have one true common version of the facts which would help those wishing to examine in closer detail what those statistics actually represent |
i agree therefore that we should adopt the regulation and i also agree with the comments on the amendments which have been made so that the commission can see to it that the statistics paint as uniform and reliable a picture as possible |
mr president technical action plans were established for statistics in 1996 1997 1998 and 1999 |
this is a sign of foresight but it also shows that developments have been so rapid in recent years that standing still really means going backwards |
this area can justly be described by the phrase 'never finished always on the way' |
the european union ought as quickly as possible to be in possession of common statistical material which is comprehensive in all areas |
the commission says that the community' s agricultural statistics should continue to be adapted in the years 2000 2002 |
this means that we are talking here about extending these |
if for a moment we look back to 1957 when the treaty of rome came into being it was in fact the agricultural sphere which was the first big area upon which agreement was reached |
today nearly 43 years later no completely satisfactory statistics have been established for this area |
the debate this week about the registration of animals showed very clearly that 12 out of 15 countries had not even begun preparations for this work |
things are naturally interconnected |
without registration careful statistics cannot be kept and there are therefore of course opportunities for a series of errors regarding payments |
the community makes contributions to offset the member states' expenditure in connection with implementing the relevant arrangements |
it is therefore necessary that the commission should now do some tightening up |
it cannot be the slowest countries which are to set the pace |
the commission ought to set the agenda to a much greater degree and lead the member states in accordance with the common resolutions |
how can we envisage re establishing consumer confidence in food following all the scandals when the eu cannot even implement its own resolutions |
food safety risk assessment and the very concept of safety are such important areas that there is no avoiding them nowadays |
allow me therefore quietly to ask when are we to put our own house in order |
finally ladies and gentlemen there is no reason to hesitate |
the future belongs to those who prepare themselves for it |
mr president a little while ago another speaker again brought up the fact that the compulsory labelling system for beef is not to be introduced until 112001 |
i am able to inform you that the council has obviously adopted our demand to introduce this system by 19 |
this represents a small victory for the european parliament as far as the timeframe is concerned |
however it did not reach this decision under the codecision procedure |
this would have meant it also having to adopt all the other proposed amendments that we voted on here yesterday in the simplified procedure |
then all our proposed amendments would have been adopted in the codecision procedure |
instead of which the council decided under the old regulation 820 97 in accordance with article 19 of the implementing rules that the member states now have the facility to continue with the voluntary system until 192000 |
i do not consider this to be the right strategy either |
it does however go some way towards meeting european parliament requirements |
apart from that we are now going to continue with the codecision procedure for the other proposed amendments which we voted on yesterday for this process will run on after 112000 |
the council must give its reaction to this |
if it fails to adopt our proposed amendments then we will become involved in a conciliation procedure |
all the other matters that we want to include in this regulation will therefore still be a matter for debate |
i hope that we will be able to persuade the council to adopt our proposals in this area too and that it allows reason to prevail |
mr president following the entry into force of the amsterdam treaty the proposals concerning statistics including agricultural statistics are based on article 285 |
it foresees adoption according to the codecision procedure |
the proposal submitted today for your approval is the first example insofar as agricultural statistics are concerned |
i should like to thank the rapporteur mrs redondo jiménez for her excellent work and in particular for her cooperation with the council and the commission on this dossier |
the commission is very pleased about the global support expressed in the report for the draft council and parliament decision |
the background is council decision 96 411(ec) on improving community agricultural statistics |
it has put at the commission's disposal a flexible tool which allows it to adapt statistical applications to changes in information needs |
this has helped to adapt the system of community agricultural statistics to changes in the common agricultural policy |
in its report to the european parliament and the council the commission has presented an overview of the actions undertaken during the period 1996 1999 in different areas |
the overall assessment of these actions by the commission is positive |
however the process of adapting national statistical systems to the needs arising from the reform of the common agricultural policy has not yet been completed |
the commission has therefore proposed to extend for a further three years with some minor changes the validity of decision 96 411(ec) |
the changes are mainly aimed at either simplifying the implementation of this action programme or at reducing the delay for paying the community contribution |
it is important to ensure that this new decision enters into force as soon as possible in order to avoid a vacuum in the present legislation |
an effort should be made to adopt this proposal after first reading |
as concerns mrs redondo jiménez's report the commission can accept amendments nos 1 2 and 3 |
the commission cannot however accept amendment no 4 even in its new modified version |
this amendment would still imply some new obligations for member states which have not yet been discussed in the council this would certainly prevent the adoption of the proposal in the council at first reading |
nevertheless the commission agrees with the rapporteur that the additional information requested by this amendment would indeed be useful in order to have a better idea of the distribution of aid paid in the context of the common agricultural policy |
the commission will therefore commit itself to include such actions in the next technical programmes starting from 2001 in view of encouraging progress in this area |
we hope that this may reassure the european parliament about our intentions and may lead mrs redondo jiménez to withdraw this amendment in order to allow the proposal to be adopted at first reading |
(es) mr president i have to point out to the commission that it is not an amendment by the rapporteur but an amendment by the committee on agriculture and therefore it is voted on in committee and in accordance with the rules of procedure it cannot be withdrawn |
also amendment no 5 which would cause no 4 to lapse which is the one that i hope the commission will accept only affects the commission not the council |
its content is already regulated by the new regulation 2390 99 which will be coming into force |
furthermore the amendment does not include any additional obligation for the commission |
therefore i hope that the commission will accept it because we have provided all the means for this proposal to be approved at first reading |
mr president just a short comment on amendment no 5 |
unfortunately we are not able to accept amendment no 5 because we know that the council would not accept it |
the debate is closed |
we shall now proceed to the vote |
(parliament approved the legislative resolution) explanation of vote |
mr president as the applause for the rapporteur mrs redondo jiménez confirmed this is one of the most important measures we have voted on |
indeed in my opinion statistics are fundamental and in italy we are in the most terrible chaos as regards the statistics on milk from our cows |