Hops: amount of aid to producers for 1995

OBJECTIVE: the proposal for a Council regulation lays down, in respect of hops, the amount of aid to producers for the 1995 harvest. CONTENT: on the basis of the Commission report on the production and marketing of hops from the 1995 harvest, it is proposed that the Council should adopt the proposal for a regulation establishing the amount of aid for hop producers for that harvest at the following levels: - aromatic varieties: ECU 444/ha; - bitter varieties: ECU 416/ha - other varieties: ECU 298/ha - experimental varieties: ECU 298/ha. This proposal takes account of changes in returns and production costs in relation to the 1994 harvest, with experimental varieties receiving the same said as "other varieties". While average production costs are more or less the same as for the 1994 harvest (a rise of only 0.08%), average returns per hectare for the three groups of varieties rose to ECU 6 271 (+10.3%), ECU 5 716 (+21.85%) and ECU 5 175 ECU (+19.05%) respectively. This proposal therefore means a proportional reduction in aid for the three groups of varieties. Compared to the previous harvest, the average level of aid for all varieties has decreased by 14.88%. The cost of the proposal, which comes under the "Guarantee" section of the EAGGF, is estimated at ECU 12.2 million. �