månadsarkiv: december 2014

CEETTAR Newsflash

Commission reacts to CEETTAR comments on distortion of competition rules
In October and November, CEETTAR raised again to the Commission its concerns about unequal treatment between actors and distorting fair competition rules, created by the provisions of the legislation on rural development which provides support for investment in physical assets. CEETTAR aim is to start a dialogue with the European Commission on this issue with the support of actual facts and figures from different Member states.

The Commission replied this week to our concerns (see letter below) with a very disappointing analysis, considering contractors are treated on satisfactory basis by the new CAP. However, CEETTAR will immediatly react, objecting to this vision and will try again to initiate a dialogue.

The secretariat will keep you informed of the developments.

 
Commission reply to CEETTAR concerns about the distortion of competition
CEMA position on exhaust emission legislation for non-road mobile machinery: More time needed
The new proposed regulation will introduce Stage V emission requirements including for the first time particulate number limits. Agricultural machinery already reduced the emissions of NOx and PM with around 95% in the last years and new emission limits will become even stricter.

CEMA supports the new introduction dates and emission limits proposed by the European Commission, but considers the timing of the new transition scheme to Stage V not feasible for the companies in the our industry and the SMEs in particular. The agricultural machinery sector is characterized by a wide range of products and the current transition scheme is simply too short to redesign the entire fleet within 12 months after the introduction date.
In the document below you can find the full CEMA position paper.

Discussions on the proposal will start in the European Parliament and Council in the coming weeks.

 
CEMA Position Paper
Brussels is preparing new measures for young farmers
The measures for young farmers in the new Pac are not sufficient believes the Italian Presidency. The Commission is working with the European Bank investment to find new financing.

The new European Commissioner for Agriculture, Phil Hogan, announced the establishment of a working group to examine the ways in which European Investment Bank (BEI) could help the young farmers. This working group made of delegates from the BEI and Directorate General Agriculture should propose in January 2015 measures such as favorable loans and bank guarantees to encourage young farmers to invest in the sector.

The Italian Presidency of the EU presented a statementinsisting that the new instruments of the CAP to promote the installation of young farmers – premium of 25% direct payments for three years, rural development programs and consulting services – were not sufficient to attract young people, while more than 5 million of them are unemployed in the rural areas across the EU. A statement supported by Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, Greece and Slovakia. Italy advocated including exceptions to the rules on state aid for the purchase of agricultural land and an Erasmus-like program that would allow young farmers to share their knowledge.

The agriculture ministers of the EU should have an exchange of views on the issue at the last Council of Ministers of Agriculture under the Italian Presidency on 15 December.

 
Civil Dialogue Group on Rural Development: documents of the meeting of 28 November 2014
On 28 November 2014, the CDG on Rural development held its first meeting. CEETTAR was represented by Michiel Pouwels from the Netherlands. A brief report will be sent soon.

You can in the meantime access the documents of the meeting by clicking on the following link:

 
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/civil-dialogue-groups/rural-development_en.htm
Agenda
8 December 2014 Biodiversity Conference & European Bee
Award Ceremony
8 December 2014 CEETTAR Working Group on Forestry – Skype meeting
9 December 2014 CEPF Conference “Who is
steering the EU forest policy and where are we moving”
9 December 2014 Workshop of the European Confederation of Maize Production (CEPM) on “the Revision of the GMO Directive”.
15-16 December 2014 Council of Ministers for Agriculture
17 December 2014 Civil Dialogue Group on Forestry and Cork
18 December 2014 General Assembly of ENFE
13 January 2015 High Level Conference of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials
19-20 January 2015 Meeting of the ESCO reference group (qualification/competences/occupations)
21 January 2015 CEETTAR Board Meeting