Brussels, 30/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - The EP agriculture commission has adopted the report from Xaver Mayer (CSU Bavaria) relating to hops, which seeks a five year extension (as against two years according to the European Commission) from 2001, of the current system of subsidies to production (480 euros per hectare) in this sector (see EUROPE of 15 December 2000, p. 14). The rapporteur therefore suggests postponing until the end of 2004 the assessment of this entire joint market organisation which the Commission undertook to complete before 31 December 2002. The MEP's also oppose the expiry, planned for 2002, of the so-called «special temporary» measures (temporary set-aside and permanent grubbing up in order to ensure a better balance between supply and demand by reducing the area planted) since this would cause «a useless destabilisation of the entire sector».
Xaver Mayer recalls that with a cultivated area of 22,700 hectares and a production of 24,600 tonnes, the EU is the leading world producer of hops. Hops are cultivated in eight member states (Germany way ahead, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Portugal and Ireland). Over the past few years, the world market has experienced difficulties, with the result that the area cultivated has been reduced: excess of supply, a change in the habits of consumers (who have turned to light beers) and a change in the quality of the varieties in favour of bitter beers (with high alpha acid content).