maximum guaranteed area

The maximum guaranteed area is being systematically reduced, thus penalising time and again the farmers who are suffering reductions in aid of up to 20%.

The current common organisation of the market in rice contains perverse elements, particularly the system of penalties for exceeding the maximum guaranteed areas.

Grain legumes are covered by their own scheme where the amount of fixed aid per hectare is EUR 181 and the maximum guaranteed area is 400 000 hectares.

However, we support the report's direction in terms of increasing the energy crops premium and increasing the maximum guaranteed area for such production so as to encourage the promotion of biofuels.

Now, by advocating a maximum guaranteed area of 400 000 hectares, the Commission wants to reduce the average production area over the last three years by around 100 000 hectares, which will mean considerable reductions in aid.

The introduction of a special arrangement for young farmers would not only further complicate the administration of the regulation but would also conflict with the principle that the maximum guaranteed areas are available to all farmers in general.

Furthermore, the demand for vetches for feeding livestock is increasing all the time, as shown, at least in Spain, by the fact that the area sown in the last three years has exceeded the proposed maximum guaranteed area by 100 000 hectares per year on average.

Regarding Amendments Nos 2, 7 and 10 on increasing the maximum guaranteed areas, especially for young farmers, the Commission does share the feelings of the Committee on Agriculture, but the change in the arrangements governing the entitlements of individual farms to maximum guaranteed areas already meets these concerns.

On the other hand, although we do not disagree with splitting the maximum guaranteed area into two, we feel it is necessary to adjust the historical reference period in order to calculate each of the maximum guaranteed areas excluding the last three years, in order to reduce the damaging impact for Portugal on products designed for human consumption.