WRITTEN QUESTION No. 687/99 by Fernand HERMAN General incentive to grow crops for non-food purposes
29. 1. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 27 E/21 a-immunotherapies against leukemia. During the 5th framework programme (1999-2002) these two projects will spend about 11 million €. Moreover, in the second action plan of the Europe against cancer programme 1990-1994 (extended until 1995), grants were given to 29 projects for a total amount of 0,87 million € in the area of research and cancer. During the first two years of the third action plan of the Europe against cancer programme (1996- 1997), grants were given to 24 projects for a total amount of 8,09 million € in the area of data collection and research. (2000/C 27 E/023) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0687/99 by Fernand Herman (PPE) to the Commission (26 March 1999) Subject: General incentive to grow crops for non-food purposes The problem of markets for European agricultural products is becoming more and more acute and a number of Member States are trying ü not without difficulty ü to launch policies that will not be too costly for the European budget. In this context ánon-foodí outlets, i. e. outlets for agricultural products for purposes other than human consumption, offer a partial solution to the problem, but Agenda 2000 says nothing on this matter. Could the Commission envisage, as requested by some Member States, granting a premium of Euro 90 to 100/hectare as a general incentive for non-food uses ü as defined in the regulation on industrial set-aside ü, if necessary in a framework of agro-environmental measures? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (6 May 1999) It is clear that the use of agricultural products for non-food purposes provides an excellent possibility for diversifying outlets and preventing overproduction. While the reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP) proposed by Agenda 2000 does not envisage a ánon-foodí policy as such, the Agenda does contain proposals likely to lead to the adoption of measures in favour of renewable raw materials, both from the point of view of the operation of the market and from the point of view of structural policy. Hence, Agenda 2000 adopted by the Heads of State and Government at the Berlin European Council of 24-25 March 1999 envisages a reference rate for compulsory set-aside of 10 % from the 2000/01 marketing year to the 2006/07 marketing year inclusive. Processing industries should therefore in the years to come be able to count on supplies of renewable raw materials at reasonable prices and so take advantage of this period to improve market penetration for their products and become more competitive. The production of non-food products is, moreover, always possible under the voluntary set-aside arrangements. Also, the new regulation on rural development expressly encourages ánon-foodí production. Member States will therefore have the possibility of actively contributing, by means of part-financing, to the promotion of this sector under their regional development programmes