Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-11-14-Speech-2-296"
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"en.20001114.12.2-296"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, as shadow rapporteur for the Garot report on the common organisation of the market in pigmeat, I should like once again here to make clear reference to the shadow side of the report. The report, which basically makes provision for a compensation fund for pigfarmers, and hence goes beyond the Commission proposal, was adopted by the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. I moved on behalf of our group for a split vote, as I personally reject the idea of a compensation fund for pigfarmers. I am quite happy to say yes to a piggy bank for pigfarmers, but I say ‘no’ to a compensation fund for pigfarmers, especially to a compensation fund co-financed from European money.
I take the view that we do not need any more regulations or state intervention. The whole point of the free market is that supply and demand even out at a specific price. It is true that pigfarmers have been hit by an historic slump in prices. But it was preceded by a period of economic stability. A relatively limited supply, as the result of swine fever and the BSE debate and high exports to third countries have benefited prices and our farmers are again demanding that politics should keep out of it as far as possible. This is again a good starting point for proving it. To my mind, this is no time for hysteria.
Every self-respecting agricultural textbook talks of two classical pig cycles. What we have seen over the last three years, albeit more drastically, is part of the classical pig cycle. The pigmeat market is now one of the few agricultural markets which is still basically free from state intervention. And the pigfarmers in my country are delighted at the fact. Setting up a compensation fund will quicken the concentration of European slaughter pig production considerably because the risk of bigger capital investments will shift to the common fund.
I am aware of the fact that totally disparate agricultural philosophies apply in Europe; the philosophy of the federal system in Germany is quite different from that of the centralistic system in France. I am quite against the idea of co-financing by the EU. I am against any increase in state intervention. As for European regulations – as many as are needed, but as few as possible. What will we think up if there are any more agricultural risks, for example in the poultry sector? We cannot stuff money into a new EU piggy bank every time. That would indeed be the thin end of the wedge. Instead, it makes more sense if every pigfarmer sets up his own reserve, i.e. if every pigfarmer has his own piggy bank. That is what I should like to see."@en1
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