The proposal was approved with the amendments adopted on 21 September 2000(1) and the following compromise amendments:

Text proposed by the Commission(2)   Amendments by Parliament (Compromise amendment 17) Recital -1 (new) (-1) The forthcoming agricultural negotiations in the framework of the World Trade Organisation must, on the European side, be conducted in such a way as to maintain the trade development prospects of the agri-foodstuffs processing industry, while complying with the requirements of the European agricultural model, in accordance with the conclusions of the Berlin European Council and the resolutions of the Council of Agriculture Ministers and the European Council of December 1997. The facility afforded by the inward processing arrangements governing trade applicable to certain goods resulting from the processing of agricultural products can only provide an emergency and provisional response to the European agri-foodstuffs industry's supply problems, pending a solution to the underlying problems. Alternatives to the facility afforded by the inward processing arrangements should in future be considered in order to respond to specific sectoral problems. Replaces amendment 1 adopted on 21 September 2000. Amendment 5 of 21 September 2000 falls (Compromise Amendment 18) Recital 4a (new) (4a) The Commission should pay attention to all agricultural raw materials processing companies and in particular to the situation of small and medium-sized companies, taking account of the impact of targeted measures relating to savings on export refunds. Replaces amendment 16 adopted on 21 September 2000. (Compromise Amendment 19) Recital 4d (new) (4d) In successive financial years, appropriations should be made available so that products not covered by Annex I to the Treaty may benefit fully from maximum use of the current WTO ceiling. Replaces amendment 9 adopted on 21 September 2000 (Compromise Amendment 20) ARTICLE 1(2) Article 8(5a) (new) (Regulation (EC) No 3448/93) 5a. The amount below which small exporters may be exempted from presentation of certificates under the export refund arrangements shall be set at EUR 50 000 per year. This ceiling may be adjusted, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 16. Replaces amendment 8 adopted on 21 September 2000 (Compromise Amendment 21) ARTICLE 1(3) Article 11(1), second subparagraph (Regulation (EC) No 3448/93) Moreover, and in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93, the economic conditions referred to in Article 117(c) of Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 should also be considered fulfilled for certain quantities of agricultural products used for the manufacture of goods. These quantities shall be determined with the aid of a supply balance drawn up by the Commission based on a comparison between the required available funds and the forecast refund requirements. This supply balance, and hence these quantities, shall be reviewed at regular intervals in order to take account of developments in economic and regulatory factors. Moreover, and in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93, the economic conditions referred to in Article 117(c) of Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 should also be considered fulfilled for certain quantities of agricultural products used for the manufacture of goods. These quantities shall be determined with the aid of a supply balance drawn up by the Commission based on a comparison between the required available funds and the forecast refund requirements, taking account, in particular, of the estimated volume of exports in the goods concerned and the internal and external market situation of the relevant basic products. This supply balance, and hence these quantities, shall be reviewed at regular intervals in order to take account of developments in economic and regulatory factors. (Compromise Amendment 22) ARTICLE 1(3) Article 11(1), third subparagraph (Regulation (EC) No 3448/93) The detailed rules for the application of the preceding paragraph, making it possible to determine the agricultural products to be admitted under inward processing arrangements and check and plan the quantities thereof, shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 16. The detailed rules for the application of the preceding paragraph, making it possible to determine the agricultural products to be admitted under inward processing arrangements and check and plan the quantities thereof, shall guarantee greater clarity for operators through prior publication of indicative import quantities for each individual COM. These shall be published on a regular basis, depending on the use of such quantities. The detailed application rules shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 16. Replaces amendment 11 adopted on 21 September 2000 (Compromise Amendment 23) ARTICLE 1(5a) (new) Article 21a (new) (Regulation (EC) No 3448/93) 5a. After Article 21, the following article is added: "Article 21a An interim report shall be submitted by the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council at the end of the first year of implementation of the new system. This report shall analyse the impact on each COM of the measures referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 11(1), and especially on the milk and milk products sector and the sugar sector." Replaces amendments 3, 4, 12, 14 and 15 adopted on 21 September 2000

(1) Texts Adopted, Item 11. (2) OJ C 89 E, 28.3.2000, p. 81.

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(1999) 717 (1) ),

-  having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Articles 37 and 133 of the EC Treaty (C5-0095/2000 ),

-  having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure,

-  having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A5-0228/2000 ),

1.  Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

2.  Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty;

3.  Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

4.  Calls for the conciliation procedure to be initiated should the Council intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

5.  Asks to be consulted again if the Council intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially;

6.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

(1) OJ C 89 E, 28.3.2000, p. 81.