WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2122/98 by David HALLAM to the Commission. Application of penalties: Regulation 1765/92
18. 1. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 13/149 (1999/C 13/211) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2102/98 by Sebastiano Musumeci (NI) to the Commission (10 July 1998) Subject: Measures to support beekeeping Despite the increase in the number of beekeepers, beekeeping is still insufficiently regulated and is often left to the generosity and courage of private operators who are forced to operate without incentives or technical guidelines. In some countries it is not considered to be an agricultural activity since it is not necessarily related to ownership or possession of land, so that beekeepers are penalized from a fiscal, legal and economic point of view. What Community initiatives have been or are to be taken to revive such an active sector of European agriculture that is heavily penalized despite the increasing demand for honey? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (30 July 1998) The Council recognised the importance of the beekeeping sector in July 1997, adopting, at the proposal of the Commission, Regulation (EC) 1221/97 of 25 June 1997 Council Regulation (EC) 1221/97 of 25 June 1997 laying down general rules for the application of measures to improve the production and marketing of honey on general application rules for the actions aiming at the improvement of production and of the marketing of honey (1). The detailed rules on the national programmes aimed by the Council Regulation are fixed by the Commission at Regulation (EC) 2300/97 (2), which has been amended by Commission Regulation (EC) 758/98 of 3 April 1998 (3). The national programmes were approved by the Commission in March 1998. (1) OJ L 173, 1. 7. 1997. (2) OJ L 319, 21. 11. 1997. (3) OJ L 105, 4. 4. 1998. (1999/C 13/212) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2122/98 by David Hallam (PSE) to the Commission (30 June 1998) Subject: Application of penalties: Regulation 1765/92 Regarding Regulation 1765/92 (1), is the Commission aware of the very heavy penalties applied when mistakes have been made when claiming arable area payments, under the IACS (Integrated Administration and Control System)? In the United Kingdom we have found that many of these penalties have been applied even when it is clear that these were genuine errors on the part of the producer. What flexibility can the Commission offer to assist these affected producers? (1) OJ L 181, 1. 7. 1992, p. 12. Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (29 July 1998) Commission Regulation (EEC) 3887/92 of 23 December 1992 laying down detailed rules for applying the integrated administration and control system for certain Community aid schemes (1) provides for sanctions in cases where farmers over-declare the area of land for the purpose of obtaining a subsidy, or where certain other rules have not been respected