Strasbourg, 26/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - Adopting the report on Thursday in Strasbourg by the British Labour MEP Gordon Adam on the reform of the sheep and goatmeat scheme, the EP amended the European Commission's proposal by increasing the premiums for the sheep and goatmeat sector. The EP argued that it was unfair for the Commission to plan to make cuts of EUR 560 million in 2002 in a sector whose farmers are among the lowest paid farmers in the EU - thereby discriminating against sheep and goat farmers in favour of beef farmers (particularly those raising suckling cows).
Parliament followed the Agriculture Committee in raising all three main forms of direct aid to EUR 30 per head - the premium for farmers selling sheep milk (from EUR 16.8 per head in the proposal); the premium for goat farmers (compared with the Commission's propose EUR 16.8); and the ewe premium (compared with the recommended EUR 21). The rapporteur's amendments aiming to limit the rise in premiums were rejected.
The EP set the additional premium per head of sheep and goat at a higher level than recommended by the Commission (EUR 9 per head rather than EUR 7) and also set up a scheme for additional payments of no more than EUR 5 per head.
In general, the EP favoured the reform proposed by the Commission (aiming to simplify the existing system by replacing the variable premiums paid in advance in line with market prices with a fixed premium per head of sheep (EUR 21) or goat (80% of the sheep premium)). Since payment in advance will disappear, Parliament has asked for the date when the standard premium is paid to be brought forward to 31 March from the Commission's proposal of 30 June. Measures are also proposed to head off the negative repercussions on the market of having a large number of sheep sold at the end of the period when the animals have to be kept on the farms or smallholdings. The other adopted amendments aim to set up a safety net to deal with a rise in prices; stress the importance of high quality; and reward farmers who use extensive farming methods.