RAPORT referitor la propunerea de directivă a Consiliului de modificare a Directivei 2001/114/CE privind anumite sortimente de lapte conservat, parţial sau integral deshidratat şi destinat consumului uman

19.7.2007 - (COM(2007)0058 – C6‑0083/2007 – 2007/0025(CNS)) - *

Comisia pentru agricultură şi dezvoltare rurală
Raportoare: Elisabeth Jeggle

PROIECT DE REZOLUŢIE LEGISLATIVĂ A PARLAMENTULUI EUROPEAN

privind propunerea de directivă a Consiliului de modificare a Directivei 2001/114/CE privind anumite sortimente de lapte conservat, parţial sau integral deshidratat şi destinat consumului uman (COM(2007)0058 – C6‑0083/2007 – 2007/0025(CNS))

(Procedura de consultare)

Parlamentul European,

–   având în vedere propunerea Comisiei prezentată Consiliului (COM(2007)0058),[1]

–   având în vedere articolul 37 din Tratatul CE în temeiul căruia a fost consultat de către Consiliu (C6‑0083/2007),

–   având în vedere articolul 51 din Regulamentul său de procedură,

–   având în vedere raportul Comisiei pentru agricultură şi dezvoltare rurală (A6‑0282/2007),

1.  aprobă propunerea Comisiei;

2.  invită Consiliul să informeze Parlamentul în cazul în care intenţionează să se îndepărteze de la textul aprobat de acesta;

3.  solicită Consiliului să îl consulte din nou, în cazul în care intenţionează să modifice în mod substanţial propunerea Comisiei;

4.  încredinţează Preşedintelui sarcina de transmite Consiliului şi Comisiei poziţia Parlamentului.

• [1]  Nepublicată încă în JO.

EXPUNERE DE MOTIVE

The European Commission

The Commission proposal confines itself to amending Annex I to Directive 2001/114/EC. The Commission proposes allowing standardisation of protein content in the Community and bringing it into line with the standard of the Codex Alimentarius (a minimum protein content of 34%, expressed in fat-free dry matter).

Analysis

Standardisation of protein content is not currently allowed. The natural protein content of collected milk must be maintained in preserved milk. The natural protein content of milk powder is currently between 31 and 37%. The European milk industry and exporters of milk powder and condensed milk (‘preserved milk’ means milk powder and condensed milk) have long been calling for the Community rules on protein content for these products to be brought into line with international standards (Codex).

The proposed authorisation of standardisation at a minimum protein content of 34% expressed in fat-free dry matter makes it possible for European manufacturers to compete with manufacturers in third countries under the same conditions. Competitors from third countries are already allowed to produce in accordance with the Codex rules, putting them at an economic advantage.

The intervention price for skimmed milk powder (SMP) is currently based on a protein content of 35.6%. The Commission now proposes aligning the intervention standard with the value for protein standardisation of 34%, which will inevitably bring adjustments of the intervention price for SMP in its wake.

The proposal to lower the intervention price for SMP is part of the proposal to amend the common organisation of the market in milk and milk products (amendment of Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999), which is the subject of a separate European Parliament report.

The European Commission expects standardisation at 34% to mean that significant quantities of protein will come onto the EU market. The Commission expects, in view of the high demand, that the increased availability will not lead to significant, if any, additional costs for the Community.

Standardisation of preserved milk coupled with a lowering of the intervention price for SMP will probably lead to a slight increase in SMP production, while the bulk of the supplementary quantity of proteins obtained through standardisation will be absorbed by increased production of cheese and fresh dairy products. The Commission expects, in turn, that that increase will generate a higher fat use in those products and correspondingly lower butter production and butter exports.

In the view of the European Commission, the lowering of the intervention price for SMP by 28% as of 2008 and the expected lower expenditure on butter exports will lead to budgetary savings. All in all, the European Commission expects that the standardisation will lead to budget economies of EUR 19.55 million as an annual average for the years 2008-2013 (EUR 117.3 million in total).

Rapporteur’s position and conclusions

The rapporteur welcomes the standardisation of protein content, since it offers European manufacturers the chance to compete on an equal footing with imported products, as well as simplifying international trade.

The rapporteur therefore supports the Commission’s proposal, suggesting no further amendments.

It must, however, be stressed that the related proposal to lower the intervention price for SMP (proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 on the common organisation of the market in milk and milk products) will be the subject of a separate report by the European Parliament.

The rapporteur also wishes to point out that the European Commission expects lower expenditure on butter exports and a lowering of the intervention price for SMP as a result of the standardisation, with consequent budgetary savings.

In the context of her opinion on the modification of the common organisation of the market in milk and milk products, and not in connection with the proposal being dealt with here, the rapporteur has recommended setting up a milk fund restructuring programme. This approach seemed preferable from a legal point of view, since although the expected savings are an indirect consequence of the protein standardisation, the savings will be obtained in the form of lower expenditure on butter exports and the intervention price for SMP as of 2008.

The milk fund restructuring programme could be used for market promotion and nutrition education measures for the milk sector, assistance towards ensuring a soft landing for milk producers in the forthcoming Health Check or support for any accompanying measures that may be needed in the milk sector between now and 2013.

PROCEDURĂ

Titlu	Anumite sortimente de lapte conservat, parţial sau integral deshidratat şi destinat consumului uman (modificarea Directivei 2001/114/CE)
Referinţe	COM(2007)0058 - C6-0083/2007 - 2007/0025(CNS)
Data consultării PE	7.3.2007
Comisia competentă în fond   Data anunţului în plen	AGRI 15.3.2007
Comisia (comisiile) sesizată(e) pentru avizare   Data anunţului în plen	ENVI 15.3.2007
Avize care nu au fost emise   Data deciziei	ENVI 27.3.2007
Raportor(i)   Data numirii	Elisabeth Jeggle 26.2.2007
Examinare în comisie	11.4.2007		4.6.2007		17.7.2007
Data adoptării	17.7.2007
Rezultatul votului final	+: –: 0:	30 1
Membri titulari prezenţi la votul final	Katerina Batzeli, Sergio Berlato, Bernadette Bourzai, Niels Busk, Luis Manuel Capoulas Santos, Giuseppe Castiglione, Albert Deß, Michl Ebner, Duarte Freitas, Ioannis Gklavakis, Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf, Esther Herranz García, Elisabeth Jeggle, Stéphane Le Foll, Jean-Claude Martinez, Mairead McGuinness, Rosa Miguélez Ramos, Neil Parish, Radu Podgorean, Willem Schuth, Czesław Adam Siekierski, Alyn Smith, Marc Tarabella, Witold Tomczak, Andrzej Tomasz Zapałowski
Membri supleanţi prezenţi la votul final	Alejandro Cercas, Esther De Lange, Ilda Figueiredo, Wiesław Stefan Kuc, Hans-Peter Mayer, James Nicholson