Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-25-Speech-3-304"
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"en.20001025.13.3-304"2
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"Madam President, this debate is a consequence of the Commission’s proposed reform of three regulations: on fruit and vegetables, products derived from fruit and vegetables, and the aid scheme for producers of certain citrus fruits. As has been pointed out, the Commission has acted without awaiting the report on the operation of Regulation (EC) No 2020/1996, which, according to the Commission, will be available by the end of this year.
The fact that it has not waited for this document – as would have seemed more natural – and has initiated the reform reveals that the Commission either has little interest in the results of its report or could not care less about its contents. With this action, one cannot help feeling that the Commission is determined to reform these regulations at any price. Is the reform that urgent? In my view, if the question is whether or not the regulations need reforming, the answer is yes; but, on the other hand, if the question is whether the reform they need is that contained in the Commission’s proposal, then the answer is clearly no, because improvements in the operating mechanisms of the sector must not be achieved at the expense of precisely one of the sectors that receives least support in Community budgets.
Since the details given in the report are not known, they cannot grab our attention. The fruit and vegetable sector accounts for an important share of final agricultural production of some 15%, while the financial effort is small and getting even smaller. Whereas, in 1995, it accounted for 5.3% of all spending under the EAGGF guarantee, in 1999 it was down to 3.6%. Added to this are two important details: first the importance of this sector for employment, and, secondly, the frequent concessions affecting the fruit and vegetable sector made under trade agreements with third countries.
We do not intend to oppose these agreements or criticise them, because they are an exercise in solidarity with third-world and developing countries, but it does not seem sensible that the price of solidarity should be paid exclusively by a sector that has never been treated well in Community budgets.
We are going to support Mr Jové Peres’s report without any hesitation. It is an excellent report – for which we congratulate the rapporteur – which provides a balanced reflection of the various interests and agreements involved. Its proposals, such as those that correct the most unfair aspects of the Commission’s proposal, may have favourable consequences. Our support will be unconditional and unqualified. Moreover, I give this support in the belief that the Council will be more sensitive than the Commission to the reasoned and reasonable proposals of the European Parliament."@en1
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