(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2007)0268),

–   having regard to Articles 36 and 37 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C6-0203/2007),

–   having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A6-0461/2007),

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 if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

4.  Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially;

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

Text proposed by the Commission   Amendments by Parliament Amendment 1 Recital 2 (2)  Taking account of experience gained, the prospects for market development both within and outside the EU and the new international trade situation, it is appropriate to develop an overall, coherent information and promotion policy for agricultural products and their method of production as well as for food products based on agricultural products, on the internal market and on third country markets, without encouraging the consumption of any product on grounds of its specific origins. In the interests of clarity, Regulations (EC) Nos 2702/1999 and 2826/2000 should therefore be repealed and replaced by a single regulation, whilst maintaining the specific features of measures according to the market in which they are implemented. (2)  Taking account of experience gained, the prospects for market development both within and outside the EU and the new international trade situation, it is appropriate to develop an overall, coherent information and promotion policy for agricultural products and their method of production as well as for food products based on agricultural products, on the internal market and on third country markets, without encouraging the consumption of any product on grounds of its specific origins. In the interests of clarity, Regulations (EC) Nos 2702/1999 and 2826/2000 should therefore be repealed and replaced by a single regulation the provisions of which could subsequently be incorporated into Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 of 22 October 2007 establishing a common organisation of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agricultural products 1, whilst maintaining the specific features of measures according to the market in which they are implemented. _______________________ 1 OJ L 299, 16.11.2007, p. 1. Amendment 2 Recital 4 (4)  Criteria should be set for selecting the products, sectors, themes and markets concerned by the Community programmes. (4)  Criteria should be set for selecting themes, markets and potential export opportunities concerned by the Community programmes, particularly with regard to those carried out in third countries. Amendment 3 Recital 5 a (new) (5a)  Information and promotion measures should include and reflect in the best possible way the attributes of the European production model - the richness, variety and tradition of the Community's agri-foodstuffs culture. Amendment 4 Recital 6 (6)  The measures should be implemented within the framework of information and promotion programmes. To ensure the consistency and effectiveness of programmes to be carried out on the internal market, guidelines for each product or sector concerned, setting out the essential elements of the programme, should be defined. (6)  The measures should be implemented within the framework of information and promotion programmes. To ensure the consistency and effectiveness of programmes to be carried out on the internal market, guidelines for each sector, setting out the essential elements of the programme, should be defined. Amendment 5 Recital 6 a (new) (6a)  The Community nature of these programmes should mean that priority is given to proposals involving several Member States and carried out on third country markets. Similarly, multi-product programmes should receive special consideration, since they entail a higher return on the public resources invested. In addition, the Commission should promote collaboration with the Member States on measures that it launches on its own initiative, thereby increasing Community added value. Amendment 6 Recital 7 a (new) (7a)  It would be appropriate to devise and include in the programmes information and support measures for the professional organisations taking part in them. Amendment 7 Recital 11 a (new) (11a)  In view of the rapid process of internationalisation to which the Community agri-foodstuffs industry is subject, it would be appropriate to provide for flexible application of the promotion and information instruments, and to make the legislative amendments needed in the light of the experience acquired since 1999. Amendment 8 Recital 11 b (new) (11b)  Bearing in mind that, especially in third countries, the promotional measures introduced should foster access to European products for consumers, and also bearing in mind that the organisations co-finance a substantial percentage of the programmes, the participating proposing organisations should be able to present their products at commercial events, such as fairs and other events, in order to show the richness, quality and variety of the Community products available. Amendment 9 Article 2, paragraph 1, point d a (new) (da) stepping up information and promotion measures for fruit and vegetable products. Amendment 10 Article 3, paragraph 1, introductory part 1.  The sectors and products which may be covered by the measures referred to in Article 1(1) to be implemented on the internal market shall be determined with regard to the following criteria: 1.  Measures referred to in Article 1(1) to be implemented on the internal market shall refer in particular to the following criteria: Amendment 11 Article 3, paragraph 1, point a a (new) (aa) the need to emphasise the various advantages of regional and local products for the environment and the labour market; Amendment 12 Article 4, paragraph 1 The Commission shall draw up, according to the procedure referred to in Article 16(2), lists of the themes and products under Article 3 and the third countries concerned. These lists shall be revised every two years. If necessary the lists may be amended in the interval through the same procedure. The Commission shall draw up, according to the procedure referred to in Article 16(2a), lists of the themes under Article 3 and the third countries concerned. In the case of third countries, the Commission shall draw up, according to the procedure referred to in Article 16(2a), a Community strategic list for potential export opportunities, taking into account the results of the measures implemented in accordance with Article 10, in particular with regard to studies of new markets and high-level trade visits. These lists shall be revised yearly. If necessary the lists may be amended in the interval through the same procedure, with particular reference to Article 3(1)(c). Amendment 13 Article 5, paragraph 1, subparagraph 1 1.  For promotion on the internal market, the Commission shall, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 16(2), adopt a strategy defining guidelines for all eligible sectors or products to which proposals for information and promotion programmes must conform. 1.  For promotion on the internal market, the Commission shall, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 16(2), adopt a strategy defining guidelines for all eligible sectors to which proposals for information and promotion programmes must conform. Amendment 14 Article 5, paragraph 2 2.  For promotion on third-country markets, the Commission shall, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 16(2), adopt a strategy defining guidelines for some or all products referred to in Article 3(2) to which proposals for information and promotion programmes must conform. 2.  For promotion on third-country markets, the Commission shall, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 16(2a), adopt a strategy defining guidelines for all products referred to in Article 3(2) to which proposals for information and promotion programmes must conform. Amendment 15 Article 7, paragraph 1, subparagraph 1 1.  Member States shall define the specifications setting the conditions and evaluation criteria for information and promotion measures. 1.  The Commission shall define the specifications setting the conditions and evaluation criteria for information and promotion measures. Amendment 16 Article 8, paragraph 1 1.  The Commission shall decide, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 16(2) which programmes are to be selected and the corresponding budgets. Priority shall be given to the programmes proposed by several Member States or providing for measures in several Member States or third countries. 1.  The Commission shall decide, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 16(2) which programmes are to be selected and the corresponding budgets. Priority shall be given only to the programmes carried out on third country markets and within these measures particularly to programmes that are proposed by several Member States or providing for measures in several Member States. Amendment 17 Article 9, paragraph 1 1.  In the absence of programmes to be carried out on the internal market for one or more of the information measures referred to in Article 2(1)(b) submitted in accordance with Article 6(1), each interested Member State shall draw up, on the basis of the guidelines referred to in Article 5(1), a programme and its specification and shall select through a public call for tenders the implementing body for the programme it undertakes to co-finance. 1.  In the absence of programmes for one or more of the information measures referred to in Article 2(1)(b) submitted in accordance with Article 6(1), each interested Member State shall draw up, on the basis of the guidelines referred to in Article 5(1), a programme and its specification and shall select through a public call for tenders the implementing body for the programme it undertakes to co-finance. Amendment 18 Article 12, paragraph 1 1.  A Monitoring Group, comprising representatives of the Commission, the Member States concerned and the proposing organisations, shall monitor the programmes selected in accordance with Articles 8 and 9. 1.  A Monitoring Group, comprising representatives of the Commission, the Member States concerned and the proposing organisations, shall manage the programmes selected in accordance with Articles 8 and 9. Amendment 19 Article 13, paragraph 2 2.  The Community's financial participation in the programmes selected under Articles 8 and 9 shall not exceed 50% of the actual cost of these programmes. Where information and promotion programmes have a duration of two or three years, the participation for each year of implementation shall not exceed this ceiling. 2.  The Community's financial participation in the programmes selected under Articles 8 and 9 shall not exceed 60% of the actual cost of these programmes. Where information and promotion programmes have a duration of two or three years, the participation for each year of implementation shall not exceed this ceiling. However, in the case of programmes related to organic farming and programmes dealing with measures taken as a result of crisis situations, the level of the Community's financial participation to such programmes shall not exceed 70%. Amendment 20 Article 13, paragraph 3, subparagraph 1 3.  Proposing organisations shall participate in the funding of the programmes they propose to a level of at least 20% of the actual costs of the programmes, with the remaining funding being borne by the Member States concerned, taking account of the Community's participation referred to in paragraph 2. 3.  Proposing organisations shall participate in the funding of the programmes they propose to a level of at least 10% of the actual costs of the programmes, with the remaining funding being borne by the Member States concerned, taking account of the Community's participation referred to in paragraph 2. Amendment 21 Article 15, paragraph 1 a (new) Those rules shall in particular provide for the possibility for proposing organisations to submit their programme at least twice a year and for the Member States to submit the programme proposals to the Commission on the same terms. Amendment 22 Article 16, paragraph 2 a (new) 2a.  Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply. The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months. Amendment 23 Article 17, introductory part Before drawing up the lists provided for in Article 4, defining the guidelines under Article 5, approving the programmes referred to in Articles 6 and 9, taking a decision on the measures in accordance with Article 10 or adopting the detailed implementing rules under Article 15, the Commission may consult: Before drawing up the lists provided for in Article 4, defining the guidelines under Article 5, approving the programmes referred to in Articles 6 and 9, taking a decision on the measures in accordance with Article 10 or adopting the detailed implementing rules under Article 15, the Commission shall consult: Amendment 24 Article 18 Before 31 December 2012, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council a report on the application of this Regulation, together with any appropriate proposals. Before 31 December 2010, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council a report on the application of this Regulation, together with any appropriate proposals.