Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-05-12-Speech-4-152"
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"en.20050512.22.4-152"2
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".
Mr President, the Commission is fully aware of how serious the drought is in Spain. It understands the concerns in this respect and is determined to help.
Within this framework, it could examine the possibility of redistributing amounts already budgeted on the basis of rural development, by channelling them to actions to reinforce measures such as 'replacing farmers' for which provision is made on the basis of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999.
Similarly, the Spanish authorities, as happened in the case of Portugal, could examine the possibility of derogations from the application of certain measures, such as agricultural environmental measures, by notifying the Commission of cases recognised as cases of '
' on the basis of Commission Regulation (EC) No 817/2004.
As regards the risk of forest fires, certain preventive actions can be included under rural development measures financed by the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund on the basis of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999.
The Spanish authorities could also ask for the regional programmes to be amended, in order to reinforce, within the framework of these programmes, measures to prevent forest fires. However, it should be mentioned that additional support based on the above measures can only be set in motion subject to compliance with the budget for existing programmes.
As regards using the Solidarity Fund, it is true that the serious drought and cold weather may be seen as a natural disaster and, as such, to generally fall within the scope of this fund. However, in order to mobilise the Solidarity Fund, the interested Member State must submit the relevant application to the Commission within ten weeks of the date of the first damage noted.
In order to qualify for aid, the calculated cost of the overall direct damage must exceed EUR 3 billion at 2002 prices or 0.6% of the gross national product of the country in question, whichever is the lower. This means that the damage threshold for 2005 applicable in Spain's case is just over EUR 3.1 billion at today's prices.
The Solidarity Fund can only cover specific emergency aid measures taken by the public authorities, such as, for example, temporary replacement of infrastructures of vital importance, which will allow normal daily activity to resume. It is important to emphasise that the Solidarity Fund of the European Union was not set up in order to cover all the costs connected with natural disasters. In particular, the EU Solidarity Fund does not allow compensation for damages of a private nature, including in the agricultural sector.
The Commission has repeatedly proven that it uses all the possibilities offered by the Solidarity Fund for the benefit of states hit by disasters, including mobilising the Solidarity Fund for the shipwreck of the
. However, the effort being made to achieve a degree of flexibility does not mean that certain provisions of the regulation will be overlooked.
Similarly, as the honourable Members of Parliament will know, the Commission approved, on 6 April, a proposal for a new Solidarity Fund. This proposal, which will need to be examined by the Council
by Parliament, makes provision, among other things, for a significant reduction in the damage threshold for mobilising the fund, extends its scope and defines a broader range of eligible actions. The Commission will be delighted if its proposal is supported by Parliament, given that it moves to a considerable extent in the direction being sought today.
Finally, Spain may decide to compensate farmers with state aid for loss of income as a result of the serious drought and cold weather.
There exist today means which provide possibilities in situations such as this.
The Spanish authorities must notify the plan to the Commission.
It is, nonetheless, fundamental that:
firstly, they must prove that the losses caused by the weather reach the 20% or 30% threshold;
secondly, that there is a direct connection between the losses and the bad weather;
thirdly, that there is no overcompensation of the damage caused.
The Spanish authorities can also use the new 'de minimis' rule for state aid. Aid of up to EUR 3 000 per farmer may be granted for three years without notifying the Commission, provided that, among other preconditions, the upper limit applicable to Spain is not exceeded.
The Commission has already issued, on 10 May, a decision allowing areas in set aside to be used for grazing animals in nine independent communities in Spain.
However, the Commission has received no other specific request on the part of the Spanish authorities in connection with the application of direct aid schemes within the framework of the situation created by the cold weather and the drought.
Any request submitted by the Spanish authorities to the Commission, for example for payment of advances, will be given serious consideration. The Commission's response will be based on current legislative provisions, taking account of the budget available.
The Commission has issued a communication, in which it outlines the various alternative possibilities for combating the dangers and crises in farming. As talks on this issue are at a very early stage in all the institutions, it is too early for the Commission to commit to specific action, even pilot action. Nonetheless, I can say that the Commission, in response to a request from the European Parliament, will shortly set a pilot study in motion on the subject of farm insurance schemes.
Within this framework, I should also like to refer to the question of transferring intervention reserves raised in the resolution. The Commission is firmly against this sort of transfer, in order to avoid distortions of the market which put local and regional producers and wholesalers at a disadvantage.
As regards the call for flexibility in the common market organisation in fruit and vegetables in the resolution, the Spanish authorities are responsible for this matter, subject to certain criteria.
Although there are possibilities for using rural development resources to relieve producers hit by the drought or cold weather, the Commission has not as yet received any such request from the Spanish authorities. If such a request is submitted, the Commission will examine it immediately, so that it can do whatever possible."@en1
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