Specific measures for agriculture in the smaller Aegean islands

The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development adopted the report by Georgios PAPASTAMKOS (EPP, EL) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down specific measures for agriculture in favour of the smaller Aegean islands.

The committee recommends that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading, following the ordinary legislative procedure, should amend the Commission’s proposal as follows:

Objectives: the specific measures aim to preserve and develop agricultural activities in the smaller islands, including the production, processing, marketing and transport of local raw and processed products.

Members consider that support should be provided for the transport from smaller Aegean islands of raw and processed agricultural products, which suffer from a dual competitive disadvantage because of the high cost of both raw materials and subsequent transport.

In addition, the support programme shall be established at the geographical level which Greece deems most appropriate after consultation with the local and regional authorities and organisations at the appropriate regional level.

The amendments proposed by the Members also aim to:

• allow subsidies to be linked with production in future;
• encourage farmers to supply quality products, making the maximum use of local genetic and propagation material, to apply Community standards for organic farming and to use traditional farming methods;
• stipulate that support measures must ensure production of local agricultural products which, for the most part, are traditional products with protected designation of origin and protected geographical indication;
• place emphasis on the preservation of cultural heritage in the form of physical and traditional characteristics of agricultural production methods.

Financial envelope: Members propose to set the maximum annual amount to EUR 31.11 million (that is an increase of EUR 7.18 million compared to the Commission’s proposal) to support the cultivation of more products and strengthen the specific supply arrangements (SSA).

It is also proposed to increase the amount allocated annually to fund the specific supply arrangements by 30% (EUR 6.56 million to EUR 7.11 million) due to strong demand for this specific measure.

Delegated and implementing acts: a number of technical amendments which concern the wording of the provisions enable the Commission to adopt delegated acts under Article 290 TFEU or implementing acts under Article 291 TFEU. The amendments take account of the wording of ‘standard provisions’ already agreed by the institutions with a view to uniform application of the term.