WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1836/98 by Felipe CAMISÓN ASENSIO to the Commission. Subsidies for tobacco growers
C 31/88 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 5. 2. 1999 Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (30 June 1998) The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written question no 1116/98 by Mr Linser (1). (1) OJ C 13, 18. 1. 1999. (1999/C 31/118) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1836/98 by Felipe Camisón Asensio (PPE) to the Commission (12 June 1998) Subject: Subsidies for tobacco growers During the European Parliamentís sitting in Strasbourg on 12 May 1998 Padraig Flynn, the Commissioner responsible for social affairs and employment, said that he had always been opposed to giving subsidies to tobacco growers. Furthermore, he added that he longed for the day when they could be discontinued. He explained that so far he had been unable to achieve full agreement but that some progress had been made in that direction. He also fervently hoped that in the not-too-distant future the issue would be raised again and tobacco subsidies as an integral part of the Unionís policy would be discontinued. In view of these categorical statements can the Commission say whether Mr Flynn has realized that if he achieved his desired purpose, it would considerably damage employment in the most disadvantaged regions of the Union, such as Extremadura? Is he not worried about such serious consequences, as the Commissioner responsible for job creation? Is he also aware that even if tobacco is no longer produced in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece, this will by no means lead to a reduction in smoking in the European Union? Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (10 September 1998) The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its report to the Council on the common organisation of the market on raw tobacco (1), and to its proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EEC) 2075/92 on the common organisation of the market in raw tobacco (2). As regards the employment situation in disadvantaged regions of the Community, in the current programming period for the European social fund (ESF) almost 50 % of resources have been allocated to objective 1 regions. The new structural fund regulations, in the framework of the European employment strategy, will allow Member States to focus ESF support on these regions. As regards policy on smoking prevention, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its communication of December 1996 (3). (1) COM(96) 554 final. (2) OJ C 108, 7. 4. 1998. (3) COM(96) 609 final