Challenges to the European agricultural machinery industry

Resolution 1063 (1995)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

See Doc. 7287, report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Rapporteur: Mr van der Linden. Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 22 May 1995.

Thesaurus

1. .The Assembly is aware that structural problems, the decline in European markets and the limited success in developing new markets in Asia have severely affected the European agricultural machinery and tools industry. The industry has experienced a drop of close to 50% in production and employment since 1980.

2. The Assembly has, on two earlier occasions, asked member governments to adopt a policy framework favouring the development and market introduction of renewable raw materials from agriculture for the energy sector and for use in industry (Recommendation 1092 (1989) and Resolution 979 (1992)). Such policies would help reduce pollution stemming from fossil fuels and petro-chemicals; they would improve the economic situation of the agricultural sector and, consequently, the European agricultural machinery industry; they would help reduce the present large surplus in food production and would lead to the creation of new employment.

3. The Assembly recognises the usual difficulties of dealing with interdisciplinary problems relating to different policy sectors.

4. For these reasons, the Assembly calls on member governments, governments of countries having special guest delegations to the Assembly, and the European Union:

4.1 to introduce tax reforms favouring the promotion of non-food production in agriculture and, more specifically, for the production and use of agricultural raw materials for the energy sector and for industry. This will allow a reduction of agricultural subsidies;

4.2 to associate the European agricultural machinery industry with such initiatives;

4.3 to assist the agricultural sector and the European agricultural machinery industry in research and development of new and improved production and transformation systems and processes. This could involve programmes within the framework of EUREKA;

4.4 to work for an easier release of credits to the agricultural sector in the European economies in transition and in particular for credits to improve or renew agricultural tools and machinery;

4.5 to promote joint-venture establishments for the agricultural machinery industry in this context;

4.6 to help the European agricultural machinery industry to gain new markets, particularly in Asia