WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2985/98 by John McCARTIN Headage and premium payments in Ireland
C 320/20 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 6. 11. 1999 This means that producer organisations may already apply any specific regulatory measure to tropical fruits. Operational funds may be used for this purpose, whether for intervention (subject to the limits laid down by Regulation (EC) 2200/96) or for measures under operational programmes to improve quality, develop marketing or promote these products. The Commission therefore considers that the existing instruments provide an answer to the problems of regulating the production and marketing of tropical fruits. Furthermore, Regulation (EC) 2200/96 provides for the introduction of specific measures to increase competitiveness and promote certain products of great local importance and facing strong international competition where the normal instruments of the market organisation are inadequate or unsuitable. The Commission has no data other than those regularly published by the statistical offices of the various Member States and by Eurostat. There is little information on recent changes in the areas planted to tropical fruits and the quantities harvested. Apart from avocados and bananas, the tropical fruit most produced in the Community is pineapples, which amount to almost 40 000 tonnes (the equivalent of 1 300 hectares) in the French overseas departments (of which 75 % is accounted for by Martinique) and about 2 000 tonnes in Portugal. The production of mangoes (mainly in Réunion: 3 500 tonnes on 200 hectares) and papayas is still only marginal. (1) OJ L 297, 21. 11. 1996. (1999/C 320/026) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2982/98 by John McCartin (PPE) to the Commission (8 October 1998) Subject: National aid packages to pig meat producers Will the Commission comment on the recent packages of national aid for pigmeat producers announced by the French and German Governments and state whether such national aids are in keeping with the principles of the single market for agricultural produce? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (23 October 1998) The Commission has contacted the French and German authorities to request detailed information about the support measures for the pig sector announced by the Member States concerned, in order to determine whether these measures include state aid, and if so whether the aid can be considered compatible with Articles 92-94 of the EC Treaty. (1999/C 320/027) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2985/98 by John McCartin (PPE) to the Commission (8 October 1998) Subject: Headage and premium payments in Ireland Is the Commission aware of the severe hardship being suffered by farmers in Ireland, particularly in the West because of the abnormally heavy rainfall and will the Commission consider bringing forward headage and premium payments to relieve the hardship on family farms?