WRITTEN QUESTION No. 164/98 by Anita POLLACK to the Commission. Consumers and timber products
9. 10. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 310/31 The quantity for which aid is granted to producers whose average olive oil production per marketing year is less than 500 kg is calculated as a lump sum on the basis of the number of trees and of the average yield in that production area over the previous four marketing years. (in Tonnes) Marketing year Greece Spain France Italy Portugal Community 87/88 88/89 89/90 90/91 91/92 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 (1) 97/98 321 718 319 231 316 372 170 869 430 147 314 432 323 161 389 904 445 000 409 000 430 000 770 000 408 000 573 000 700 000 610 000 636 000 588 000 583 000 375 000 964 000 840 000 4 088 1 200 2 825 2 310 3 400 1 840 2 407 2 440 2 450 2 400 2 000 742 500 390 000 585 000 148 000 650 000 410 000 550 000 458 664 625 000 445 000 650 000 38 000 24 570 35 100 20 000 34 992 17 075 27 486 29 220 34 000 39 000 60 000 1 876 306 1 143 001 1 512 297 1 041 179 1 728 539 1 379 347 1 491 054 1 463 228 1 481 450 1 859 400 1 982 000 (1) The data for the marketing year 1996/1997 are provisional. (98/C 310/36) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0164/98 by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission (2 February 1998) Subject: Consumers and timber products Is the Commission committed to systems of forest certification, which enables consumers to make an informed choice about the purchase of environmentally friendly timber products? Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (24 March 1998) The Commission is not committed to any system of forest certification as a general policy element, but continues to stimulate and host formal and informal discussions on the issue through various fora, as well as to monitor the use of and results from forest certification initiatives and other mechanisms to promote sustainable forest management in the forest products markets. Additionally the Commission has supported, often through co-financing, a number of projects and other initiatives carried out in the specific context of the Regulation (EC) No 3062/95 on operations to promote tropical forests (1), Article 4(c), as well as under the forest protocol of the Lome· Convention. The Commission is aware of an increasing and legitimate public demand for more assurance on sustainable forest management. Globally, certification can be considered as one tool among others which can help to improve the management of forests in those regions of the world where deforestation and large scale forest degradation due to inappropriate logging practices occur. In Europe forest certification is not likely to have any significant impact on forest management as this is already characterised by a high degree of sustainability. Its potential benefits, if any, will here be limited to possible market advantages and a better public information on the environmental advantages of wood and wood-based products when compared to non-renewable raw materials. (1) OJ L 327, 30. 12 1995