Brussels, 01/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - By adopting on Thursday with a overwhelming majority (444 votes for, 50 against and 5 abstentions), the report by Jutta Haug (ESP, German), the European Parliament approved the supplementary and amending budget (SAB) for EUR 971 million to finance the measures to fight against bovine encephalopathy spongiform )BSE) in 2001.
Recognising the urgent and preponderant nature of these measures (State intervention and screening tests), the Parliament enshrined the SAB as it had been presented by the European Commission, on 31 January, and approved by the Council of Ministers, on 21 February. The amendment from the Dutch Liberal Jan Mulder was rejected (121 for, 342 against and 12 abstentions). It aimed to reduce from 70% to 50% the share cofinanced by the Community budget for the implementation of the "purchase for destruction" system of bovines aged above 30 months (see EUROPE of 28 February, p.13). The ELDR group thus wanted to free savings of EUR 299 million to then have the possibility of financing other measures.
In its resolution, the Parliament invites the Commission to present in one go (rather than over two years) reports that it must draft on the mid way assessment of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy in the sectors of arable, oil seed farming and milk. In this context, it calls on the Commission to present proposals aimed at an "in-depth reform of the CAP".
During the debate, Jean-Louis Bourlanges (EPP, French), warned against the unusual nature of the questioning of the CAP caused by the BSE crisis: we cannot say that the medical problem (of the transmissibility of the disease to man) exists because the common agricultural policy is what it is, he asserted. As for the sharing of the burden, Mr Bourlanges pointed out the paradox of the situation in which some (allusion to the amendment from Mr Mulder) want to reduce the expression of Community solidarity precisely at the time when the problem is becoming increasingly one facing the Community. When there is a fire in the house, we do not start by questioning the quality of the construction, but we start by extinguishing the fire, exclaimed Mr Bourlanges. Furthermore, he recalled that "no so long ago" Mrs Schreyer had proposed, to tackle the EU's undertakings on the external level, a revision of the financial forecasts including a reduction in agricultural spending. Admit that we have shown more prudence than you, said the MEP to the Commissioner.
EUR 971 million, it's a big supplementary budget, asserted Michaele Schreyer, who, in noting that the spending of the Community budget on beef has, in the meantime increased, 50% compared to the previous year, noting that this proves that the European Union is not abandoning the farmers in distress. The destruction of the herd is a sad chapter both for farmers as for European tax payers, but there is no alternative, she said, while feeling that the Commission has played its part, and called on the Council and Member States to play theirs. Sometimes, the reactions to this crisis give me the impression that some are looking for a scape goat, she commented. (For the debate, see yesterday's EUROPE, p.7).