Answering my written question no 709 (Doc. 14125), the Committee of Ministers affirmed that the two recommendations mentioned in my question remain valid. It added that “notwithstanding the fact that the recommendations remain valid, no report has been received to date in their respect.”
This is understandable, in relation to the fact that the recommendations require that “The Standing Committee shall be informed annually of the results obtained and measures taken to improve housing and management procedures and control production.” Nevertheless, as stated in the reply to my Written question No. 702 (Doc. 14054), “The functioning of the Standing Committee and the related activities have been suspended since 2010.” In other words, reports might not have been sent just because of the absence of a recipient.
It is clear that such reports are necessary in order to ensure that producing countries properly implement the recommendations. This is even more important in consideration of the answer provided by the French government to parliamentary question n. 97227 tabled by French MEP Laurence Abeille, in which the French Ministry of Agriculture writes that the recommendations are simple indications and are not binding. This position is in clear contrast with the opinion of the European Commission regarding the binding value of the recommendations.
In the absence of plans to re-establish the Standing Committee,
Mr Van der Maelen,
To ask the Committee of Ministers,