Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-05-10-Speech-2-348"
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"en.20050510.28.2-348"2
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".
Mr President, I am extremely pleased with the draft report to be put to the vote tomorrow in this Parliament, because it takes up — with some amendments, it is true — each and every measure I proposed in the initial draft.
The draft report that I have presented to the European Parliament in fact proposes an alternative to the crisis management system in force, which would consist of the introduction of so-called ‘safety funds’, managed by the groupings themselves, intended to finance withdrawals at times of serious crisis, reductions of production in the event of market saturation, and also the implementation of a system of insurance for incomes. If properly organised, this ‘box’ should become the instrument that the producers’ organisations currently lack for dealing with the ups and downs of the market.
The report also contains certain measures which are urgently required in order to respond to certain problematic situations, such as, for example, low membership of associations in the new Member States, and it also provides responses to the particular problem of soft fruits, for which a whole series of measures are proposed with a view to improving both a system for fresh fruits and vegetables and the system for processed fruits and vegetables, without forgetting the need to extend the campaigns promoting production, placing emphasis on Community origin.
In view of the broad support achieved in the Committee on Agricultural and Rural Development, I hope that this report will now receive the support of the immense majority of Members of this Parliament.
Nevertheless, the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats has presented an amendment to the report urging the European Commission to present a legislative proposal as soon as possible. The announcement by Commissioner Fischer Boel, who is here with us, that the reform of the sector would be postponed has caused great malaise amongst producers, a malaise which I would like this European Parliament to reflect.
The Commissioner’s announcement is a symptom of the lack of importance attached to such a significant sector as fruits and vegetables, and I would remind you once again that the fruit and vegetables sector represents 17% of the European Union's final agricultural production, a fact that the Commission has apparently not taken into account at this crucial time when the financial perspectives are being negotiated for a period of seven years.
I believe that the Commission's attitude leaves much to be desired and if I have understood the messages communicated recently by the Commissioner properly, the Community executive may include the reform as a section of a general proposal for the implementation of a single common organisation of the market for all agricultural products. I believe that, if we do this, we will not be mixing like with like, since, until now, the fruit and vegetables sector has been given special treatment, which generally speaking has been positive, although it is occasionally necessary to introduce important changes.
Producers of fruits and vegetables originally experienced a degree of frustration as a result of being considered as a separate sector, with no right to direct aid. Today, however, the special system, based on the existence of operational funds, co-funded by the growers, has provided them with a means for better adapting their production to the needs of the market.
Although the system has certain failings — which system does not? — and although it needs certain modifications aimed, in particular, at increasing the competitiveness of producers, it would be a mistake to include fruits and vegetables amongst all the other agricultural sectors. This would mean dismantling the whole philosophy upon which the progress made so far in the sector has been based.
I would insist that I wish to reflect the discontent communicated to me by certain professional organisations at the postponement of these legislative proposals. It is urgent that we carry out a reform in order to introduce new mechanisms, mechanisms for managing the market in order to deal with the difficulties being faced by certain parts of the sector and which will be accentuated following the negotiations in the World Trade Organisation.
A swift system for dealing with crises, controlled by the producers’ organisations, would enhance their role as managers of the market, which furthermore should serve as a draw for individual producers which have not so far found it beneficial to join these groupings. 60% of these producers do not belong to these groupings."@en1
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