Report from the Commission to the Council on the cost of the aid measures for the transport of certain fruit and vegetables in 1996 provided for in Council Regulation (EEC) No 3438/92
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Brussels, 23. 02. 1998 COM(1998) 94 final REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL on the cost of the aid measures for the transport of certain fruit and vegetables in 1996 provided for in Council Regulation (EEC) No 3438/92 Hi Article 2(4) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3438/921, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1600/962, requires the Commission to present a report to the Council on the cost of the aid measures for the transport of certain fruit and vegetables. This report concerns the cost of the measures in 1996. 1, Background The conflict in Yugoslavia, which erupted in 1991, hampered the transport of certain Greek agricultural products destined for other Community Member States, in particular fruit and vegetables, which are highly perishable. As a result of this exceptional situation, unprecedented since the introduction of the common agricultural policy, the Council took a decision, in respect of fruit and vegetables covered by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1035/723 (which was subsequently repealed and replaced by Regulation (EC) No 2200/964), on account of their perishability, to compensate for the costs arising as a result of the need to avoid the territory of the former Yugoslavia. 2. Regulatory framework Council Regulation (EEC) No 3438/92 provides for the grant of a special temporary allowance for the years 1992-96 on consignments made by wagon, truck or vessel to Member States other than Italy, Spain and Portugal. The allowance for 1996, which is the last year for which it is to be granted, must be adjusted on a diminishing scale. The Commission subsequently adopted a number of implementing regulations, including Regulation (EC) No 2133/965, amended by Regulation (EC) No 95/98°, concerning the consignments in 1996. This Regulation set the aid originally at ECU 3. 21 and ECU 2. 76 per 100 kilograms net weight for consignments from 1 January to 17 October 1996 and from 18 October to 31 1 OJL 350, 1. 12. 1992, p. 1. 2 OJL 206. 16. 8. 1996, p. 45. 3 OJL US, 20. 5. 1972, p. 1. 4 OJL 297, 21. 11. 1996,p. 1. 5 OJL 285. 7. 11. 1996, p. 13. 6 OJL 9, 15. 1. 1998, p. 28. 2 December 1996 respectively on condition that the quantities dispatched during those periods do not exceed 175 000 tonnes and 41 000 tonnes respectively. The competent Greek authorities were instructed to examine aid applications and their admissibility and to proceed with payments. They were instructed also to carry out the necessary checks on the operations. Financing is provided by the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF). The Greek authorities are required to notify the Commission of the quantities qualifying for transport aid. 3, Cost of the aid The figures below have been prepared on the basis of information sent by Greece concerning the consignments in 1996 which qualified for transport aid. The data supplied to the Commission are broken down by product, means of transport and Member State of destination. In 1996 aid was granted in respect of 260 958 437 kg offrait and vegetables, i. e. 5% less than in 1995. The quantities dispatched during the two reference periods referred to in point 2 above totalled 206 016 864 kg and 54 941 573kg (Le. 79%and2I%) respectively. The aid amounts were consequently reduced in proportion to the overruns, as required under Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2133/96, to ECU 2. 727 and ECU 2. 060 per 100 kg respectively, giving a total cost for the measure of ECU 6 749 876. 4. Summary Table t gives a breakdown by product of the quantities dispatched. Grapes are the main product that benefited from the measures, accounting for 31% of the consignments for which the allowance was granted. Next come oranges (14%), followed by water melons (11%X Germany was by far the principal consignee Member State, receiving 64% of the quantities dispatched, followed by the Netherlands (16%) and the United Kingdom (11%) (see Table 2> % Table 1 Consignments of Greek fruit and vegetables which qualified for transport aid in 1996 Product Quantity (kg) Percentage (%) Grapes Oranges Water melons Asparagus Cucumbers Mandarins Peaches Kiwis Cherries Lemons Apricots Nectarines Peppers Tomato peppers Carrots Sweet peppers Valencia oranges Lettuce Apples Tomatoes Aubergines Quinces Cabbages Plums Raspberries Beans Mirabelle plums Grapefruit Pears Total 81,607,965 35,645,944 29,705,048 24,016,518 19,854,739 16,871,482 15,016,785 10,713,782 6,067,158 5,558,389 4,711,271 4,604,271 1,711,130 1,697,056 1,008,972 957,327 524,450 243,220 240,072 65,277 47,445 34,430 17,800 11,640 10,903 8,900 3,393 2,710 360 31. 3 13. 7 11. 4 9. 2 7. 6 6. 5 5. 8 4. 1 2. 3 2. 1 1. 8 1. 8 0. 7 0. 7 0. 4 0. 4 0. 2 0. 1 0. 1 0. 0 0. 0 0. 0 0. 0 0. 0 0. 0 0. 0 0. 0 0. 0 0. 0 260,958,437 100. 0 Table 2 Consignments of Greek fruit and vegetables which qualified for transport aid in 1996 by Member State of destination Member State of destination Quantity (kg) Percentage (%) D _ _K A F _ S B 165,770,941 40,382,906 29,282,103 16,175,286 2,479,037 1,671,658 3,796,306 1,400,200 oTT TsT TTT 62 09" Oo~ Lf 05~ r ISSN 0254-1475 COM(98) 94 final DOCUMENTS EN 03 07 10 01 Catalogue number : CB-CO-98-099-EN-C ISBN 92-78-31240-1 Office for Official Publications of the European Communities L-2985 Luxembourg