WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2416/98 by Konstantinos HATZIDAKIS to the Commission. Damage to agriculture caused by heatwave in Crete
C 135/54 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 14. 5. 1999 (1999/C 135/062) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2416/98 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE) to the Commission Subject: Damage to agriculture caused by heatwave in Crete (27 July 1998) At the beginning of July Crete experienced an unprecedented heatwave (the temperature exceeded 40 degrees) which greatly damaged viticulture (especially in the prefecture of Irakleion) and stock- breeding. In particular, production of table grapes over a very large area and hundreds of hectares of sultana vineyards were destroyed. As far as stockbreeding is concerned, the heatwave mainly affected poultry, pigs, domestic animals and apiculture. Will the Commission say whether it considers that there is any scope for granting aid to the stricken agricultural sectors in Crete? (1999/C 135/063) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2595/98 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE) to the Commission (1 September 1998) Subject: Disastrous effects on agriculture caused by heat wave in Crete At the beginning of July, Crete was hit by an unprecedented heat wave (with temperatures over 40 degrees) which wrought havoc among vineyards (especially in the Heraklion region) and stockfarming. In particular, table grape vines over a huge area and hundreds of hectares of sultana production were destroyed. As regards livestock, the heat wave mainly affected poultry, piglets and domestic animals as well as bee-keeping. In view of this situation, does the Commission consider it possible to grant assistance to the Cretan farmers affected by this disaster? Joint answer to Written Questions E-2416/98 and E-2595/98 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (8 October 1998) The second subparagraph of Article 2(5) of Commission Regulation (EC) 411/97 of 3 March 1997 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) 2200/96 as regards operational programmes, operational funds and Community financial assistance (1) allows fruit and vegetable producer organisations, in the event of a natural disaster, to use a theoretical value of marketed production based on the average yield during the three preceding years for calculating Community financial assistance to the operational fund. The Commission proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) 20/98 of 7 January 1998 laying down rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) 2200/96 as regards aid to producer organisations granted preliminary recognition (2) contains a similar provision. The Community legislation currently in force provides for two ways in which, at the Member State’s instigation, a programme can be launched to help wine-growers replant drought- and heatwave-damaged vineyards. The first possibility is investment aid in accordance with Commission Regulation (EEC) 2741/89 of 11 September 1989 laying down criteria to apply under Article 14 of Council Regulation (EEC) 822/87 on national aid for the planting of wine-growing areas (3) (such aid must be notified in advance to the Commission in compliance with Article 93(3) of the EC Treaty); the second possibility is aid to restore production potential through investment in replanting heatwave-damaged vines, funded jointly by the Community under the Guidance Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) (such aid must fall within Greece’s financial allocation for the current programming period (1994-99) and comply with the relevant procedure laid down in the Objective 1 Community support framework (CSF)). However, the aid must be granted in accordance with the specific requirements stipulated by the respective measures referred to in the CSF, for example Council Regulation (EC) 950/97 of 20 May 1997 on improving the efficiency of agricultural structures (4) (as regards