Brussels, 21/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the European Commission approved Community aid for 2000 and 2001, provided for in the framework of the restructuring and conversion of vineyards, introduced in 1999 in the reform of the common agricultural policy with the aim of adapting production to market demand. Throughout these two marketing years 2000/2001 and 2001/22002, eight Member States have received or will receive 800 million euro, 26.3 million of which for Germany, 325.8 million for Spain, 130.7 million for France, 231.5 million for Italy, 59.9 million for Portugal and 19.4 million for Austria, 7.3 million for Greece and 179,500 for Luxembourg..
The Commission adopted two decisions. The first decision provides for the 2000/2001 marketing year, the reallocation of the remaining balance (115 million euro of the 380 million originally provided for) to Member States having requested additional funding. The distribution is as follows: Germany, 2.8 million euro; Greece 0; Spain 49.6 million euro; France 37.6 million euro; Italy, 14.7 million euro; Luxembourg, 0; Austria 6.5 million euro; Portugal, 3.8 million euro. This decision follows communication be Member States , on 30 June 2001, of expenses actually made for the current year (2000/2001). Worth noting that the allocation of the 380 million euro was decided by the Commission on 25 July 2000. The second decision concerns the financial allocation of 422 million euro for the restructuring and conversion of vineyards for the 2001/2002 marketing year: 13.7 million euro for Germany, 7.3 million euro for Greece, 154.1 million euro for Spain, 93 million euro for France, 116.5 million euro for Italy, 167,000 for Luxembourg, 7.5 million euro for Austria and 29.4 million euro for Portugal.
Member States must put forward the regions and types of production eligible for the aid. Measures to guide supplies, applied to vineyards in order to enable them to adapt to market demand, will be pursued on a more targeted basis. Member States lay down the rules for governing the details and levels of support to be granted.