WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1178/98 by Luisa TODINI to the Commission. Compensation for the 'Bright' variety of tobacco between Umbria and Veneto (1997 marketing year)
11. 12. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 386/89 The Member States have established an informal network on the implementation and enforcement of environ- mental law (IMPEL), which aims to monitor illegal cross-border waste transport. It also has a working group on environmental prosecutions, and is considering if it can address environmental crime in a wider context. The Commission takes part in the activities of this network. IMPEL has produced a report on transfrontier shipments of waste, known as TFS-2 project transfrontier shipment of waste, final report concerning European co-operation on the enforcement of Community Regulation (EEC) 259/93 on transfrontier shipments of waste › May 1996í. The Commission is sending this report direct to the Honourable Member and to the Parliamentís Secretariat. The Commission has not carried out studies or investigations in relation to the matters raised by the Honourable Member in the zones she mentions. (1) OJ C 158, 25. 5. 1998. (98/C 386/117) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1178/98 by Luisa Todini (PPE) to the Commission (6 April 1998) Subject: Compensation for the Brightí variety of tobacco between Umbria and Veneto (1997 marketing year) In Italy more than 75 % of the Brightí variety of tobacco is produced in Umbria and Veneto. The 1997 crop in Veneto was some 4 000 tonnes below average because of serious virus diseases, whereas in Umbria there was a considerable quantitative increase of a top quality product. Considering the 1995 precedent sanctioned by Article 14 of Commission Regulation (EC) 1066/95 (1) the agricultural policies ministry has requested that the end-of-year compensation for all varieties of tobacco be made permanent under the regulation in compliance with the nationally guaranteed quantitative limit. Does the Commission consider it possible to authorize such compensation given that it would mean that the excess tobacco produced in Umbria would not have to be sold off or destroyed? (1) OJ L 108, 13. 5. 1995, p. 5. Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (4 May 1998) The Commission is not in favour of the type of compensation called for by the Honourable Member. It believes that to grant such compensation would undermine the principle of the individual quota which is one of the bases of the common organisation of the market (COM) in tobacco. Furthermore, such compensation would do nothing to solve the problem of under-production in Veneto. Implementation of such compensation would be likely to encourage producers to systematically produce more than their quota, leading them to believe believe that their over-production may always, after compensation, be eligible for the premium. Since the 1997 harvest is over, it is very difficult to check the source of tobacco receiving compensation