Brussels, 17/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - As EUROPE announced yesterday (p.13), the European Commission has handed the Council its draft common positions on agricultural policy for nine candidate countries (all expect Malta) for EU membership. Except for a few technical adjustments on the level of production quotas (sugar and milk) and premiums (cattle and sheep), these documents simply reflect the strategy that the Commission revealed in January. The Spanish Presidency intends managing to define a Council common position by the end of June, so that negotiations can be completed by the end of the year.
These draft common positions provide a few more details on the timetable for the payment of direct aid to each of the future Member States (but to always on the distribution of these funds by country): 25% of the Community level in 2004, 20% in 2005, 35% in 2006, 40% in 2007, 50% in 2008, 60% in 2009, 70% in 2010, 80% in 2011, 90% in 2012 and 100% in 2013. The level of national co-funding for the programmes for rural development has been set, as expected, at 20% (thus 80% of aid will come from the Community budget), against 25% for the current Member States. Indications o the amount of aid granted under rural development programmes will be supplied later.
Regarding supply management instruments and production quotas, the Commission has downwardly reviewed certain of its proposals in relation to end-January. That is the case, notably, for the size of the national envelopes allocated in the beef sector (as well as the number of animals eligible for some of these premiums, especially milking cows). In the sheep sector, premiums for ewes have been reduced for Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, whereas the national envelopes have increased for all countries, except for the Czech Republic. Fr cereals, the reference yield has increased for Hungary and been reduced for Slovakia. The "sugar" and "potato starch" quotas remain at the same level initially proposed.
Arable crops: (1) basic surface (reference period 1997/1999): Cyprus 54 100 ha; Estonia, 356 600 ha; Hungary, 3.55 million ha; Latvia, 484 700 ha; Lithuania, 1.15 million ha; Poland, 9.21 million ha; Czech Republic, 2.24 million ha; Slovakia, 1 million ha; Slovenia, 124 600 ha: (2) reference yield (period 1994/95 and 1998/99): Cyprus 1.88 (t/ha); Estonia, 1.77; Hungary 4.49; Latvia 2.06; Lithuania, 2.23; Poland 2.96; Czech Republic, 4.18; Slovakia 4.06; Slovenia, 5.31
Potato starch (reference period 1997/99): Cyprus (not given); Estonia, 250 tonnes; Hungary, zero; Latvia, 3400 t; Lithuania, 700 t; Poland 9005 t; Czech Republic, 1 700 t; Slovakia, zero t; Slovenia, zero t.
Sugar quotas (reference period 1997/99): Cyprus (not given); Estonia (not given); Hungary, 380 000 tonnes; Latvia, 52 500 t; Lithuania, 96 200 t; Poland, 1.66 million t; Czech Republic, 445 000 t; Slovakia, 208 000 t; Slovenia, 53 000 t.
Milk quotas (reference period 1997/99): Cyprus, 131 000 tonnes; Estonia, 562 000 t; Hungary, 1.79 million tonnes; Latvia, 489 000 t; Lithuania, 1.45 million tonnes; Poland, 8.87 million tones; Czech Republic, 2.5 million t; Slovakia, 946 000 t;; Slovenia, 463 000 t.
"Beef" national envelopes: Cyprus, 172 000 euro; Estonia, 936 000 euro; Hungary, 3.54 million euro; Latvia, 1.33 million; Lithuania, 4.94 million; Poland (in the area of 27 million, but details still need providing for this country); Czech Republic, 7.69 million; Slovakia, 4.5 million, Slovenia, 2.34 million.
"Sheep" national envelopes: Cyprus, 409 000 euro; Estonia 29 000; Hungary, 1.08 million; Latvia, 19 000 euro; Lithuania, 18 0000 euro; Poland 355 0000; Czech Republic, 47 000 euro; Slovakia, 230 000; Slovenia, 55 000 euro.