Brussels, 06/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - The fifteen experts from the Specail Agriulture Committee (SAC), who met up on Monday evening, were once again divided on the subject of the European Commission's proposal on the system for aiding tobacco producers (see EUROPE 18-19 February on differences within Agriculture Council).
The Spanish Presidency tried unsuccessfully to amend the formulation of "recital No. 5" of the proposal referring to the Commission Communication on sustainable development (this mentions the progressive elimination of subsidies) and clashes with the position of producer country delegations (GGreece Spain, France, Italy, Austria and Portugal. These countries have also criticised the most of the elements of the Commission proposal on Financing Community Funding for Tobacco (increase of 2%-5% in 2004 from deductions on subsidies to producers to support this funding), as well as on its missions (the Commission wants to replace its initial mission, agronomic research to a less noxious kind of production, with a public information mission on the harmful affects of tobacco consumption and actions for reconverting tobacco production. The only breakthrough occurred at the meeting about highly technical aspects of the proposal; Belgium, Portugal and Greece want, as an option, to keep the national reserve system (which the Commission want to eliminate) and were supported in part by anumber of other delegations (not by France or Italy)).
The proposal will be discussed again next Tuesday at a SAC meeting, in view of preparing for the Agriculture Council on 18-18 March.