WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3904/98 by Miguel ARIAS CAÑETE Checks on olive residue
C 320/86 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 6. 11. 1999 Some countries for various reasons prefer to import live animals for slaughter afterwards. If the Community did not subsidise such exports it would lose the markets to other exporting countries. The Honourable Member is reminded that, following adoption of Council Regulation (EC) 2634/97 of 18 December 1997 amending Regulation (EEC) 805/68 on the common organisation of the market in beef and veal (1), which makes payment of export refunds on live cattle conditional on compliance with the provisions on animal welfare during transport, Commission Regulation (EC) 615/98 of 18 March 1998 laying down specific detailed rules of application for the export refund arrangements as regards the welfare of live bovine animals during transport (2), applicable since 1 September 1998, has introduced checking of all live cattle leaving Community territory plus targeted checks when cattle are unloaded in the country of destination. The Commission has always tried to keep export refund levels for live cattle and for beef roughly parallel while taking into account the specific requirements of certain countries of destination and the Community market situation. (1) OJ L 356, 31. 12. 1997. (2) OJ L 82, 19. 3. 1998. (1999/C 320/115) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3904/98 by Miguel Arias Cañete (PPE) to the Commission (4 January 1999) Subject: Checks on olive residue The Regulation on the application of production aid for olive oil lays down that, where olive residue is sent to an extraction establishment, quantities must be determined batch by batch, indicating the consignee, whereas ‘in other cases’ they must merely be determined on a flat-rate basis, indicating the consignee. In the latter case the consignee may act as an intermediary, since that person is named only as the consignee for the total amount, and there are no subsequent checks. Is it not inconsistent that it should be possible to circumvent checks through the interposition of an intermediary? (1999/C 320/116) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3905/98 by Miguel Arias Cañete (PPE) to the Commission (4 January 1999) Subject: Determining the production coefficient for olive mills Under the new Regulation on the application of production aid for olive oil the production coefficient for mills with a continuous two-stage production cycle has been estimated at 0,70 (where 0,80 would be more appropriate). When olives are processed in a two-stage cycle, the oil and the sum of waste liquid plus residue are separated. Together, these components must make up 100 %. If the average oil yield of olives is estimated to be around 20 %, the amount of residue produced must be 80 %