Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-07-07-Speech-4-164"
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I should like first of all to thank the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, particularly its draftsman, Mr Freitas, together with the members and draftsmen of the Committees on Budgets, International Trade and Regional Development, for all the work they have done on this report.
On 28 June 2001, the Council adopted a reform of the agricultural support scheme in the outermost regions of the Union. These measures go back to 1991 and 1992, and they have proved their effectiveness in promoting agriculture and the supply of these regions with agricultural products. Managing them has, however, posed a number of problems. The two strands of the Posei scheme, which constitutes the specific arrangements for supplying and supporting local producers, are characterised by administrative inflexibility. With regard to the specific supply arrangements, the Commission is required to legislate for what are often only modest variations in the quantities of products to be supplied in the outermost regions. This is not an efficient administrative framework. The support schemes for local production comprise a range of as many as 56 micro-measures laid down by Council regulations. It is not possible to adapt these measures without interinstitutional legislative procedures, a state of affairs that prevents any rapid response by the Community when it comes to adapting the support measures to specific situations.
That is why the Commission proposes a change in philosophy regarding both the aid given to these regions and the adoption of a participatory method of decision-making. The new system would also allow the measures to be adapted quickly, taking account of the specific features of these regions. The draft regulation envisages the presentation of one programme for each outermost region in the Member States concerned. These programmes will comprise two sections: one on the specific supply arrangements for agricultural products – agricultural inputs or products designed for transformation – which are essential in terms of human consumption in the outermost region concerned, and another section on support for local production.
With regard to financing, the regulation affects neither the sources of financing nor the level of Community support. The Community will finance the programme under the EAGGF Guarantee Section up to 100% within the limits of an annual ceiling laid down by the Council regulation. A part of this support will be compulsorily reserved for support for local agricultural production. The amounts are calculated on the basis of the average of the amounts spent on financing the specific supply arrangements during the reference period 2001 – 2003 and on the basis of the ceilings for expenditure applicable to support for local production. A portion of the subsidised amounts will be integrated into the direct payments under Regulation 1782/2003. They are among the ceilings to be found in Annex 8 of this regulation.
I turn now to the reform of the sugar arrangements and to the outermost regions. Although they do not form part of the Commission proposal, I should like to make a number of comments concerning the reform of the sugar arrangements and the outermost regions. The Commission is well aware that the characteristics of sugar production in the outermost regions of the Community are appreciably different to what they are in the other regions. That is why financial support should be given to this sector through the granting of subsidies to farmers in the outermost regions.
The restructuring arrangements will be financed through the deduction of a specific amount from all the quotas applicable to sweeteners. The sugar companies in the outermost regions will not fall under these arrangements. These regions will thus be placed on an equal footing with the ACP countries in terms of price. This is an approach considered reasonable by the Commission.
What is more, the French outermost regions, which were the only ones to benefit from support to outlets, will receive an additional amount of EUR 15 million corresponding to current outlet measures in respect of the reference period. The direct payment in favour of the outermost regions will be included within the single framework of the Posei programme which we are debating and, as a consequence, excluded from the single payment arrangements. The French and Portuguese outermost regions have benefited in the same way as the other Member States from the same increase in the amount of their direct payments, corresponding to the reduction in additional prices. In the case of the French outermost regions, the amount increases from EUR 39 million to EUR 44 million and, in the case of the Portuguese outermost regions, to just over EUR 1 million.
I now come to the Commission’s position concerning the amendments. In view of what I have just said, the Commission is able to accept Amendments 1, 8, 9, 18, 23, 24, 27, 28 and 32 and is able in part to accept Amendment 35. Unfortunately, the Commission does not wish, and is not in a position, to accept the other amendments proposed."@en1
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