Brussels, 19/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The agricultural professional organisations COPA and COGECA have called on Commissioner Franz Fischler to meet them to seek solutions with them for remedying the rise in fuel prices and the increase in production costs for farmers. In their letter, the two organisations say they are very concerned about the explosion in fuel and oil product prices as well as by the resulting rise in the cost of "inputs", fertiliser in particular. COPA and COGECA call on the Union institutions and on the governments of Member States to immediately take measures necessary in the field of taxation in particular, in order to contain the rise in production costs and to attenuate the treasury difficulties of farmers and horticulturists, as well as agricultural and fishing cooperatives, while ensuring that there is no resulting competition distortion. Both organisations consider the current situation demonstrates that it is truly necessary for a development policy for the production of non-food renewable raw materials to be elaborated, and mainly for renewable energies.