WRITTEN QUESTION E-0429/00 by Ioannis Averoff (PPE-DE), Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) and Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Funding of agricultural development in Greece.
28. 12. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 374 E/73 (2000/C 374 E/085) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0429/00 by Ioannis Averoff (PPE-DE), Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) and Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission (23 February 2000) Subject: Funding of agricultural development in Greece Agricultural development now constitutes the second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy and its legal basis is Regulation 1257/1999 of 17 May (1). The Commission is currently negotiating the third Community Support Framework with the Member States. In the case of Greece which has a particularly large agricultural population ü it accounts for some 20 % of the total population of the country ü agricultural development is a particularly important sector which requires special attention. However, for the third Community Support Framework (CSF) the Greek authorities have proposed a mere 11,87 % which covers both agriculture and fisheries, compared to 36,7 % for transport. The amount allocated under the first CSF was 12,9 % ü and at the time there was no special regulation covering agricultural development ü and the amount under the second was 13,7 %. The amount proposed for the third CSF thus represents a significant reduction. Will the Commission say what measures it intends to take to prevail upon the Greek authorities to attach due importance to the countryside and the Greek farming community? (1) OJ L 160, 26. 6. 1999, p. 80. Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (24 March 2000) First, the Commission would like to assure the Honourable Members that rural development does indeed constitute the second pillar of the common agricultural policy (CAP). It must also be noted that its legal basis, Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain Regulations, sets out measures financed either by the Guidance Section or by the Guarantee Section of the EAGGF. As regards areas covered by Objective 1 (such as is the case in Greece), measures relating to the above Regulation are cofinanced from two sources ü EAGGF Guarantee and EAGGF Guidance. As regards funding for those programmes dealing specifically with rural development (to be cofinanced by both EAGGF sections) which have already been submitted to the Commission, the Greek authorities have requested 2 600 million drachmas (at 1999 prices) for the period 2000-2006. This figure accounts for 16 % of the total allocated for all development programmes to be cofinanced by the Community, more specifically under the Community Support Framework (CSF), the Cohesion Fund and the EAGGF Guarantee Section. it must be pointed out that, in addition to funds from the EAGGF, the Greek agricultural Finally, community will benefit from financial assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the Cohesion Fund and the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG). These funds, which finance transregional, regional and local projects, have a direct and beneficial impact on the inhabitants of rural areas