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Procedure : 1999/0236(CNS)
Document stages in plenary
Document selected : A5-0124/2000

Texts tabled :

A5-0124/2000

Debates :

Votes :

Texts adopted :

P5_TA(2000)0210
P5_TA(2000)0211
P5_TA(2000)0306
P5_TA(2000)0307

Texts adopted
Tuesday, 16 May 2000 - Strasbourg
Flax and hemp for fibre *
P5_TA(2000)0210A5-0124/2000

Propoal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999 establishing a support system for producers of certain arable crops to include flax and hemp grown for fibre (COM(1999) 576 - C5-0280/1999 - 1999/0236(CNS) )

The proposal was amended as follows(1) :

Text proposed by the Commission(2)   Amendments by Parliament
(Amendment 1)
Recital 2
   (2) The flax and hemp sector has undergone profound changes since the entry into force of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1308/70 on the common organisation of the market in flax and hemp; in addition to the traditional production of long flax fibre for textiles, flax is now also being grown at lower cost purely for the production of short fibre.
   (2) The flax and hemp sector has undergone profound changes since the entry into force of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1308/70 on the common organisation of the market in flax and hemp; in addition to the traditional production of long flax and hemp fibre for textiles and the traditional use of hemp fibre, flax and hemp are now being produced to supply a new market in short fibre. As it is precisely short fibre and fibre combining all lengths which can be used for new, innovative materials and applications which offer prospects for the future, production of these fibres should be encouraged in the long term, in order to further develop alternatives to synthetically produced materials.
(Amendment 2)
Recital 3
   (3) The aid per hectare for short flax fibre and hemp, which is extremely high in relation to production costs and the value of the product itself, has prompted a certain amount of speculative production; the areas down to short-fibre flax and hemp have increased without any comparable increase in either output or real market demand for these products. The steps that have been taken to prevent this anomaly have not had the desired success but rather have further complicated the rules governing the sector.
   (3) The attractiveness of area payments has resulted in a certain amount of speculative production in some Member States. The steps that have been taken have led to very complicated rules in this sector and in some cases have not achieved the desired results.
(Amendment 3)
Recital 4
   (4) In order to solve the problems facing the market in flax and hemp grown for fibre, the amount of aid granted to the growers concerned should be comparable to that for competitor crops. To that end, and with a view to simplifying the applicable legislation, these crops should be included in the support system for producers of certain arable crops established by Council Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999 of 17 May 1999. Moreover, where there is a need to ensure continued production, Council Regulation (EC) No ..../.... on the common organisation of the market in flax and hemp grown for fibre provides for aid for processing flax and hemp straw.
   (4) In order to solve the problems facing the market in flax and hemp grown for fibre, the amount of aid granted to the growers concerned should be comparable to that for competitor crops. To that end, and with a view to simplifying the applicable legislation, these crops should be included in the support system for producers of certain arable crops established by Council Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999 of 17 May 1999. In order to ensure continued production in this sector, it is necessary for aid for processing flax and hemp straw to be provided under Council Regulation (EC) No ..../.... on the common organisation of the market in flax and hemp grown for fibre. To prevent fraud or misuse of funds in this sector and to ensure that producers and processors place high-quality flax and hemp products on the market, producers and processors must be offered sufficient incentives. However, the producer must provide to the competent authorities proof of supply to the processor, and the processor must provide to the competent authorities proof of processing of the delivered fibre. If no sufficient proof has been presented to the competent authorities within 18 months, aid should fall to the level of the set-aside rate.
(Amendment 4)
Recital 5
   (5) To ensure a smooth transition to the level of support granted for cereals and to solve the current problems caused by the existence of different aid schemes for fibre flax and seed flax, the payments for flax and hemp grown for fibre should be the same as those granted for linseed, which must themselves be aligned on those for cereals by the 2002/03 marketing year.
   (5) In order to simplify the support system granted for flax and hemp, it should be integrated into the support system for producers of certain arable crops. The system would extend to flax and hemp producing areas that are currently outside the area payment scheme and to other suitable non-arable land where it is proved that no soil erosion or other ecological damage would occur as a result. The support for flax and hemp needs to be fixed at a sufficiently high level to further develop the sector with regard to diversification.
(Amendment 5)
Recital 6
   (6) To avert the danger that the aims of Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999 might be circumvented, grant of the per-hectare aid for flax and hemp grown for fibre should be made subject to certain conditions as regards cultivation.
 Deleted
(Amendment 6)
Recital 7
   (7) Specific measures should be laid down for hemp, to ensure that illegal crops cannot be hidden among the crops eligible for area payments, thereby disturbing the common market organisation for hemp. Provision must therefore be made for area payments to be granted only for areas sown to varieties of hemp known to have a low psychotropic content. In addition, the Member States should restrict the areas sown to hemp in each production area to ensure that compliance with the maximum levels of psychotropic substances can be closely monitored on the areas covered by payment applications. A system of prior approval should therefore be introduced to ensure that the maximum areas fixed by the Member States are not exceeded.
   (7) Specific measures should be laid down for hemp, to ensure that illegal crops cannot be hidden among the crops eligible for area payments, thereby disturbing the common market organisation for hemp. Provision must therefore be made for area payments to be granted only for areas sown to varieties of hemp known to have a low psychotropic content
(Amendment 7)
Recital 8a (new)
(8a) The plans for regional base areas need to be expanded to incorporate the areas for flax and hemp; for the Member States Austria, Finland and Sweden, the years following their accession should be taken as the reference years.
(Amendment 8)
ARTICLE 1(-1) (new)
Article 2(2) (Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999)
   - 1. The following is added at the end of Article 2(2):
"In establishing the regional base area, flax and hemp cultivation shall be taken into account. For the Member States Austria, Finland and Sweden, the reference years 1995 to 1997 shall be applicable to flax and hemp.”
(Amendment 9)
ARTICLE 1(2)
Article 4(3), 1st subparagraph (Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999)
   2. In the first subparagraph of Article 4(3), the words "for linseed” are replaced by "for linseed and flax and hemp grown for fibre”.
 Deleted
(Amendment 10)
ARTICLE 1(2a) (new)
Article 4(3), 1st subparagraph (Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999)
2a. The following is added to the first subparagraph of Article 4(3):
"For flax and hemp:
   - EUR 126/t (not less than EUR 600/ha) from the 2001/2002 marketing year onwards.”
(Amendment 11)
ARTICLE 1(2b) (new)
Article 4(3), new subparagraph (Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999)
2b. In Article 4(3) the following new subparagraph is added:
"The granting of the area payment for flax and hemp shall be independent of the use of straw or seed.”
(Amendment 12)
ARTICLE 1(2c) (new)
Article 4(4a) (new) (Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999)
2c. In Article 4 the following new paragraph 4a is added:
"4a. The area payments for the production of flax and hemp shall be provided only if the producer is able to furnish proof of delivery to the processor.”
(Amendment 13)
ARTICLE 1(3)
Article 5a(2), second indent (Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999)
   - the entire crop is sold under contract to authorised primary processors for uses other than human nutrition .
   - the straw is sold under contract to authorised primary processors.
(Amendment 14)
ARTICLE 1(3)
Article 5a(3) (Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999)
   3. The Member States shall fix a maximum area eligible for area payments for hemp for each production area so that they can ensure verification of the tetrahydrocannabinol content of the crops grown on at least 30% of the areas for which area payment applications have been made. To ensure that the maximum areas fixed are not exceeded, the Member States shall introduce a system of prior approval for the cultivation of hemp restricting sowing under this scheme to those areas .
   3. The Member States may fix a maximum area eligible for area payments for hemp so that they can ensure an adequate level of verification of the tetrahydro-cannabinol content of at least 30% of the crops for which area payment applications have been made. To ensure that the maximum areas fixed are not exceeded, the Member States may introduce a system of prior approval for the cultivation of hemp, in keeping with the market arrangements .
(Amendment 15)
ARTICLE 1(3a) (new)
Article 6(1), 1st subparagraph (Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999)
3a. Article 6(1), first subparagraph, is replaced by the following :
“1. The set-aside obligation for each producer applying for area payments shall be fixed as a proportion of his area down to arable crops, excluding flax and hemp grown for fibre, for which a claim is made, and the area thus calculated shall be set aside pursuant to this Regulation.”
(Amendment 37)
ARTICLE 1(3b) (new)
Article 7 (Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999)
3b. The following paragraph is inserted at the end of Article 7:
“Member States may depart from these provisions in respect of applications for payment on fibre flax and hemp and any land set aside as a consequence in accordance with the obligation under Article 6, where such applications are for land on which area payments for flax and hemp were made under Council Regulation (EC) No 1308/70 or under this regulation in the 1998/1999, 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 marketing years.”
(Amendment 16)
ARTICLE 1(4)
Article 9 (Regulation (EC) No 1251/1999)
   4. Article 9 is amended as follows:
   4. Article 9 is amended as follows:
   (a) in the first paragraph, the following is inserted after the sixth indent:
"- with regard to flax grown for fibre, those relating to the arrangements for sales contracts with authorised primary processors as referred to in Article 5a(1),
   - with regard to hemp grown for fibre, those relating to:
   (i) the arrangements for sales contracts with authorised primary processors as referred to in Article 5a(3),
   (ii) the specific control measures and methods for determining tetrahydrocannabinol levels.'';
 Deleted
   (b) the first indent of the second paragraph is replaced by the following:
   (b) the first indent of the second paragraph is replaced by the following:
"-either make the granting of payments subject to the use of:
   (i) specific seeds,
   (ii) certified seed in the case of durum wheat and flax and hemp grown for fibre,
   (iii) certain varieties in the cases of oilseeds, durum wheat, linseed and flax and hemp grown for fibre,
 "-either make the granting of payments subject to the use of specific seeds, namely
   - certified seed in the case of hemp grown for fibre,
   - certain varieties in the cases of oilseeds, durum wheat, linseed and flax and hemp grown for fibre,
   - or provide for the possibility for Member States to make the grant of payments subject to such conditions”;
   - or provide for the possibility for Member States to make the grant of payments subject to such conditions”;
(Amendment 17)
ARTICLE 3, 2nd paragraph
It shall apply from the 2000/2001 marketing year.
 It shall apply from the 2001/2002 marketing year.

(1) The matter was then referred back to committee pursuant to Rule 69(2).
(2) OJ C 56 E, 29.2.2000, p. 17.

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