WRITTEN QUESTION No. 322/99 by John McCARTIN Investment in the pigmeat sector in Ireland
12. 11. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 325/105 Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (9 March 1999) For the current General agreements on tariffs and trades (GATT) year (1998-1999) the quantity of beef (expressed in carcass weight) which the Community is allowed to export with the benefit of export aid is 1 025 852,6 tonnes (including a carry over of 78 052,6 tonnes from the previous year). On the base of the requests for export licences, until the end of January 1999, 388 157 tonnes (carcass equivalent) of beef were declared to be exported. The total amount of refund accordingly to be paid is €338 430 589,6. (1999/C 325/143) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0322/99 by John McCartin (PPE) to the Commission (19 February 1999) Subject: Investment in the pigmeat sector in Ireland Given that EUR 100 million, 75 % of which is EU money, was spent in the Irish pigmeat sector in the last 15 years, can the Commission state whether it has carried out any studies to establish whether this investment has brought any benefit to farmers producing pigs, and will it agree that the European money has been used to create a monopoly of a small number of processors in the Irish market who are now abusing their position to make exorbitant profits? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (31 March 1999) It is a condition of Community aid under successive legislation since 1977 that investments for processing and marketing must contribute to improving the situation of the basic agricultural production sector in question, and having regard to the specific nature of each sector, they must guarantee the producers of the basic products an adequate and lasting share in the resulting economic benefits (Council Regulation (EC) 951/97 of 20 May 1997 on improving the processing and marketing conditions for agricultural products (1)). Each application for funding under the Regulation has been examined in the light of this requirement. The Commission can agree that there has been some concentration in pig processing capacity in Ireland, but this is mainly due to acquisition rather than undue aid allocated to a particular group. (1) OJ L 142, 2. 6. 1997 (Article 12). (1999/C 325/144) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0323/99 by John McCartin (PPE) to the Commission (23 February 1999) Subject: Price of lamb and sheepmeat Will the Commission provide statistics on the average prices paid for sheepmeat and lamb in each Member State for the most recent period for which the information is available?