Brussels, 19/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - A study into the environmental aspects of rice production in the EU was handed to the European Commission, and in particular to the Directorate General "Environment", by the Association of rice industries from European producer countries (CORISE). Drafted by Mr R. Carriere, Director of the AIRI (Associazione industrie risiere italiane), this study notes that:
- EU rice production is concentrated in five Member States, namely in order of importance: Italy, Spain, France, Greece and Portugal. The total surface area of rice paddies is 396,000 hectares, for a total production of 1.5 million tonnes and for a consumption of 1.7 million. Thus the EU is a net importer.
- This production is concentrated in areas adjacent to wild life parks of European importance (Tincino, Donana, Camargue, Albufera, Guadalquivir, Axios, Arrbida), or located inside the parks. Rice farming has irreplaceable ecological functions: irrigation, water retention (very important to fight flooding), water table conservation, maintaining natural habitat of several rare birds or those in danger of extinction and other animals, etc.
- Taking into account the European cost of production, a customs protection is necessary for the survival of rice farming. If this production disappears or is radically reduced, the surface area used for rice farming will rapidly decrease from 225,000 hectares and totally disappear within a few years.
