Forestry measures in agriculture: Community aid scheme (implem. regul. 2080/92/EEC). Report

Adopting the report by Mr Jyrki Otila (EPP, FIN) on the Community aid scheme for forestry measures, Parliament considers that the main objective of the regulation has not been achieved as there is little evidence that the scheme has contributed to compensating farmers for reducing agricultural production; where there has been a reduction of agricultural land, it has both been very small and the land withdrawn has been the least productive. Parliament regrets that in most Member States the scheme has had little effect in terms of environmental, rural or forestry development (plots of land affected have been small, widely dispersed and fragmented). The scheme has been applied unevenly, with only four Member States participating to the extent of more than 50 000 hectares, accounting for 81% of total hectares. The distinction between farmers and non-farmers has not operated successfully. Parliament therefore calls on the Commission to publish an evaluation report indicating the levels of premia that have been paid, the areas where the scheme has been applied, the amount of agricultural production that has been reduced, the levels of compensation paid, the woodland created by afforestation, the levels of Member State contributions, etc. Parliament calls on the Court of Auditors to examine the operation of this scheme and report back to Parliament with its own evaluation of costs and benefits. �