Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-04-04-Speech-3-303"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20010404.13.3-303"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, firstly, I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks to you, Mrs Auroi. Equally, I would like to thank the Members of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development for the rapid and thorough examination of the proposal on the use of land set aside for organic holdings, which I had already submitted in the plenary part-session within the framework of the seven-point plan.
I would like to express clearly, though, that the proposed measure is not aimed at replacing the animal meal at present banned in fodder. Tomorrow morning we will have the opportunity to discuss this aspect. Our aim – the aim of the Commission – is quite a different one, namely to create an additional encouragement of environmental agriculture, since organic farmers are dependent on the cultivation of fodder legumes like clover and lucerne to a greater degree than conventional agriculture. I am therefore of the opinion that the possibility proposed by the committee will be of great use to organic farmers.
We should also not forget, however, that there are good reasons for the restriction to organic holdings. Firstly, it should be guaranteed that the land set aside remains an effective instrument for the control of production, in order to keep our aquaculture subsidies in the Blue Box. Secondly, a certain preference for organic holdings is therefore appropriate here, since otherwise it would be much harder for these to be able to fulfil their production conditions. It would be advisable to bear these arguments in mind when the relationship between supply and demand in protein-rich crops is discussed tomorrow.
That is why I must reject the amendments which are aimed at a use of land set aside for the cultivation of all types of fodder legumes and protein-rich crops and for an extension to other types of agricultural holdings besides organic holdings: Amendments Nos 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are aimed at the relationship between supply and demand in protein-rich crops. This question was examined and settled by my services, after the Council had engaged the Commission to do so in December and within the framework of the Nice Summit. Tomorrow morning, I will make a statement about this here in plenary. For this reason, I would prefer not to discuss this further today.
In conclusion, one final obvious comment on the proposal discussed today: only if the Council can decide quickly will the organic farmers be able to profit from the opportunity offered, since our proposal would already also take into account the set-aside period from 15 January 2001 and apply from then on."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples