Brussels, 05/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the representative of the European Commission announced during a meeting of the Special Agricultural Committee (SAC) that in 2004, the Commission would be presenting a study on funding for agricultural insurance against natural disasters and epidemics. The SAC has examined a working document produced by the Greek Presidency (already looked into by the Spanish Presidency at the beginning of 2002), which divides Member States). Delegations in the North of the EU (Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany and United Kingdom) were opposed to an increase in Community funding for insurance schemes, explaining that they preferred private schemes. On the other hand, Member States such as France, Spain, Portugal and Greece are in favour of Community funding for certain action, for example the budget for the European Veterinary Fund. Spain pointed out that during its Presidency, it arranged for each Member State to sent the Commission information on their national agricultural insurance schemes so that it could draft a report in 2003. Given that so far, no Member State has provided the necessary data, the Commission has been unable to provide this document this year.