Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-04-13-Speech-4-302"
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"en.20000413.12.4-302"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, the Commission proposal to henceforth fund the school milk programme by means of 50% cofinancing has evoked a furious response in the Council and in Parliament. As soon as the term cofinancing is mentioned in terms of agriculture, people’s hackles rise. Many see cofinancing as the renationalisation of the common agricultural policy. The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development is also against the Commission’s plans. With such a viewpoint, Parliament can make the most of it. Will we read in the newspaper tomorrow “European Parliament in favour of school milk subsidies – to the rescue of the dairy sector”? Are we not kidding ourselves and the sector with this attitude? Is massive opposition to cofinancing in the interests of the sector in the long term? I do not think so.
We shall have to make do with the financial package established in Agenda 2000 and to deal with the enlargement of the Union. If agricultural policy is not changed we shall not be able to pay for it. The Union should develop its policy within this context. The main question here is, how can we operate as efficiently as possible with the limited resources of the European Union? Must we continue to burden the agriculture budget with a school milk programme of about EUR 90 million a year? Is it not more sensible to seek possibilities of financing such programmes elsewhere? If we wish to guarantee the agricultural sector a reasonable level of support, then that is urgently required. If we do not do that, then the Commission will undoubtedly try in other ways to remain below the agricultural ceiling. What do you think about a reduction on the direct income supplements? Those who are against cofinancing bring such painful economies a lot closer. We do not wish to be part of that. Relieving the EU budget by means of creative solutions, such as cofinancing, seems to us a better option for the agricultural sector itself.
Finally, I agree with the objection to the fact that school milk is distributed to people at meetings in this building who certainly do not need it."@en1
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