Activites

• 2007/11/16 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Regulation 2007/1234
  • OJ L 299 16.11.2007, p. 0001
  • OJ L 144 09.06.2009, p. 0027
  • Corrigendum to final act 32007R1234R(01)
  • OJ L 155 13.06.2008, p. 0028
• #2825
• 2007/10/22 Council Meeting
• 2007/10/22 End of procedure in Parliament
• 2007/10/22 Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
• #2806
• 2007/06/11 Council Meeting
• 2007/05/24 Results of vote in Parliament
  • Results of vote in Parliament
  • T6-0207/2007 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Niels Busk (ALDE, DK) by 468 votes to 14 with no abstentions, and confirmed the position taken by its Agriculture Committee. (Please see the document dated 08/05/2007.) Whilst approving the Commission's proposal to simplify the EU's common agricultural policy by merging the 21 existing sector-specific market organisations (CMOs) into a single regulation,  MEPs stated that this decision should be solely an act of technical simplification and must not introduce reforms through the back door.Parliament considered that any decision of a political nature must continue to be adopted by the Council, after consulting the European Parliament. Accordingly, it opposed the Commission’s proposal to remove the option of public intervention for pigmeat in the context of this simplification. Members do not want provisions concerning fruit, vegetables and wine to be incorporated in the common organisation of agricultural markets until the completion of the reforms under way in these sectors, as this would prejudge the outcome of the reforms.Parliament also felt that establishing a single management committee for all agricultural sectors, as suggested by the Commission, would raise doubts as to how to ensure that the necessary sectoral expertise is available. The report therefore calls for the setting up of four management committees, one for meat, one for dairy products, one for vegetables and one for perennial crops.It went on to recommend that the carcass classification system should continue to be established by the Council and not by the Commission.Mandatory import licenses should continue to be required for cereals, sugar, rice, flax and hemp, as well as products from the milk, beef and veal sectors and the olive sector, with derogations only for cereal products, sugar or rice and then only under certain conditions.MEPs felt that framework rules governing contractual relations between buyers and sellers of sugar beet should only lay down minimum guarantees because of the difficulty of providing for uniform purchase terms throughout the Community.Lastly, they suggested that the new regulation should refer to “organisations of an interbranch” nature rather than "interbranch organisations" to ensure that all sectoral bodies are targeted, whatever their designation or status.

• 2007/05/23 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2007/05/10 Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
  • A6-0171/2007
• 2007/05/08 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
• #2790
• 2007/03/19 Council Meeting
  • 2790 summary

    The Council held a policy debate on the "Single CMO", on the basis of a questionnaire seeking guidance on the inclusion of fruit and vegetables and wine in the "Single CMO", the transfer of certain powers to the Commission and the possibility to abolish pigmeat intervention scheme.Following a first examination of the proposal at expert level, and with a view to allowing a further examination at the same level, the Council noted the general support of delegations' for the objective of simplification.- With regard to the inclusion of the fruit and vegetables and wine sectors, although there was agreement on their inclusion in the "Single CMO", the question of the Commission's proposed two-step approach (certain provisions to be introduced now and the remainder after the reform is completed) remained open.- On transfer of certain competences, a clear majority of delegations, whilst underlining that some issues were too political to be transferred to the Commission, considered the examination could be conducted on a case by case approach.- As regards the omission of the possibility of pigmeat intervention, a majority of the delegations considered it would be better to keep that option at that stage.The Council gave the Council preparatory bodies a mandate to pursue the examination of the proposal intensively, with a view to reaching a conclusion during Germany's Presidency. Commissioner Fischer Boel welcomed the wide support for the objective of the proposal and indicated that the Commission would cooperate with the Presidency in order to comply with that timetable.The Parliament is expected to be adopt its opinion at the plenary session on 21 May.

• 2007/01/18 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• #2774
• 2006/12/19 Council Meeting
  • 2774
• 2006/12/18 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2006)0822 summary

    PURPOSE: to revise the existing 21 Regulations on sector-specific common market organisations (CMOs) and combine them into a single Regulation.PROPOSED ACT: Council Regulation.BACKGROUND: this proposal forms an integral part of the overall Commission approach to Better Regulation and Simplification and is an essential component in the Commission’s plans to streamline and simplify the common agricultural policy (CAP). In 2003, the Community reformed the CAP by establishing a horizontal legal framework for all direct payments through the creation of a single payment scheme. This proposal goes one step further by revising the existing 21 Regulations on sector-specific CMOs and combining them into a single, comprehensive, Regulation, with a view to streamlining and simplifying the legal framework without changing the underlying agricultural policies of the EU.Currently, each of the 21 CMOs are governed by a separate basic Council Regulation and are frequently accompanied by a further set of subsidiary Council rules. Most of these Regulation follow the same structure and have numerous provisions in common – as is the case concerning rules on trade with third countries and more “general provisions”. However, many of the basic Regulation contain different solutions to identical or similar problems.This is not an attempt by the Commission to change the political decisions of the Council nor is the Commission proposing to repeal or change existing instrument – unless they have become obsolete, redundant or should be dealt with at a Council level. In other words the Commission is not seeking, through this proposal, to extend the scope of the CMOs nor is it seeking to introduce new measures. It is seeking a more streamlined regulatory structure.CONTENT: the purpose of this proposal is to revise the existing 21 Regulations on sector-specific CMOs by merging them into one comprehensive Regulation.  The sectors affected are: Live trees and other plants, bulbs, roots, cut flowers and ornamental foliage; “Solde” (referring to products not covered by other CMOs); pig meat; eggs; poultry; raw tobacco; beef and veal; milk and milk products; flax and hemp; sheep and goat meat; cereals; rice; dried fodder; olive oil; seeds; hops; sugar; bananas; fresh fruit and vegetables; processed fruit and vegetables; and wine.Once adopted, the Regulation’s basic structure will mirror that of existing CMO Regulations. A specific part will, however, be devoted to competition issues. Thus, the Regulation will be structured as follows: Introductory provisions (scope, definitions, marketing years); internal market provisions (public intervention, private storage etc.) trade with third countries (licences, import duties etc.); competition rules (anti-trust, state aid etc.) general provisions (disturbance clause, communication etc.) and lastly transitional and final provisions. The proposal also incorporates a number of annexes, which reflect the annexes to current CNO Regulations. In summary, the proposed Regulation contains the following provisions:Scope:The Commission proposes that the new Regulation will apply to all agricultural products that are currently governed by a CMO. Its scope will be extended, however, to contain certain other agricultural products such as: silkworm, ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin; and apiculture products, which are currently regulated, not through a CMO, but through other specific agricultural rules. Not included in the Scope is: Cotton.As for fresh and processed fruit and vegetables and as for wine (which are under review) the Commission proposes to include horizontal or common provisions affecting these sectors, such as state aid, competition, comitology procedures and Member States communications to the Commission. Once the reviews of these sectors has been finalised, they will, as a second step be incorporated into the single Regulation.Incorporating other legal acts:In addition, the Commission is proposing that the Regulation take on board further Council rules, which at present do not form part of CMO Regulations – such as milk quotas; private storage provisions; public intervention and state aid provisions.Commission decision making:In the vast majority of cases, the Commission will make implementing decisions based on the “management procedure”. This will be a horizontal requirement.Entry into force:The dates for the application of provisions in the new Regulation will be fixed so as to ensure a smooth transition to the new legal framework. This implies that the new provisions will not become applicable in the course of marketing years. Further, the Commission would be given enough time to prepare and adopt the necessary implementing acts. Should the new Regulation be approved in autumn 2007, the provisions will then apply:-          in sectors for which marketing years are provided for: From the beginning of the relevant marketing years in 2008; and-          in sectors for which no marketing year is provided for, from 1 January 2008.Provisions on sugar and milk quotas will apply no longer than the end of the 2014/2015 sugar marketing/milk quota year.On a final point, given that the proposal will not bring about any changes to the existing CAP measures, it has no budgetary implications.

  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/agriculture/', 'title': 'Agriculture and Rural Development'}, FISCHER BOEL Mariann

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2006)0822
• Debate in Council: 2774
• Debate in Council: 2790
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A6-0171/2007
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T6-0207/2007
• : Regulation 2007/1234
• : OJ L 299 16.11.2007, p. 0001
• : OJ L 144 09.06.2009, p. 0027
• : Corrigendum to final act 32007R1234R(01)
• : OJ L 155 13.06.2008, p. 0028

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)