WRITTEN QUESTION E-1654/99 by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission. Use of agricultural products for non-food purposes.
1. 8. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 219 E/15 (2000/C 219 E/019) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1654/99 by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission (22 September 1999) Subject: Use of agricultural products for non-food purposes If oil seeds are sown in the European Union on set-aside land, there is a hectare premium of EUR 68,83 per tonne. However, this premium is paid only for oil seeds listed in Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 1586/97 (1). Oil seeds not appearing on the list are not eligible for a premium. This means that it is difficult to introduce new crops for non-food purposes. Is the Commission prepared to take action so that all oil seeds are eligible for the same subsidy, thereby giving every opportunity for agricultural products to be developed for non-food use? (1) OJ L 215, 7. 8. 1997, p. 3. Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (26 October 1999) It is true that, for the purposes of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1586/97 of 29 July 1997 laying down detailed implementing rules for the use of set-aside land for the provision of materials for the manufacture within the Community of products not primarily intended for human or animal consumption, the so- called non-food Regulation, the compensatory payment provided for in Article 2(5) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1765/92 of 30 June 1992 establishing a support system for producers of certain arable crops (1) was granted exclusively for the raw materials listed in Annex I or, as appropriate, Annex II to the aforementioned Regulation. However, with the recasting of the non-food Regulation following the adoption of Agenda 2000, the subsequent repeal of Regulation (EEC) No 1765/92 and the entry into force of Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999 of 17 May 1999 (2), the classification of the various raw materials in the two annexes was also re-examined. Thus, in Annex I to the draft Regulation concerning the use of set-aside land for non-food raw material production, the combined nomenclature (CN) code ex 1205 00 90 for rapeseed is now worded to take account of the fact that, for reasons of consistency, simplification and sound management, in order to determine the eligible varieties reference should be made to the common catalogue of agricultural plant species, as specified in the new draft Regulation laying down detailed rules for the application of Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999. Consequently, in the case of certain oilseeds, the development of new crops for non-food purposes will be encouraged by the granting of the area aid. (1) OJ L 181, 1. 7. 1992. (2) OJ L 160, 26. 6. 1999. (2000/C 219 E/020) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1693/99 by Christoph Konrad (PPE-DE) to the Council (30 September 1999) Subject: VEBA AG real estate affair ü EU Balkan representative Bodo Hombach 1. Before appointing ex-minister Bodo Hombach as the EU representative in the Balkans, was the European Council aware of his possible involvement in the VEBA AG real estate affair, which had been alleged in the German press?