[autom.vertaling] Finland en de Commissie bereiken een akkoord over toekomstige speciale steun voor landbouwers in Zuidelijk Finland (en)

At their meeting in Luxembourg, Mr Fischler, the Commissioner responsible for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries and Mr Korkeaoja, Finnish Minister of Agriculture, have agreed on the key points of a future national support programme for farmers in the South of Finland (Article 141) to last from 2004 to 2007. Finland will now submit a formal notification of this support programme. On this basis the Commission will then take a formal decision as soon as possible.

"Article 141 of the Finnish Accession Treaty provides a basis for special support programmes for farmers in Southern Finland. The agreement found today provides farmers in Southern Finland with balanced and substantial national support, coming in addition to normal aids from the Common Agricultural Policy. Over the next 4 years 225 million € of agri-environmental aids and 420 million € income aids can thus be made available in addition to normal CAP support, including increased less favoured area support. Farmers in Southern Finland are thus offered a unique chance of completing successful integration into Common Agricultural Policy", said Mr Fischler.

The main points of the agreement:

Agri-environmental support for crop producers.

• Following a transitional phase in 2004, a support volume for 2005 and the following years of 55 million € per year will be made available.

• The overall incentive granted in relation with income foregone and additional costs resulting from agri-environmental commitments under the rural development programme may be a maximum of 100% on the average.

• In case the cost of agri-environmental commitments undertaken by farmers should increase from 2005 on, and in case the established incentive scheme would exceed the 55 million €, this amount may be reviewed.

Improvement of farm structures

Finland will grant full support under state aid rules to each structural improvement measure eligible for aid in Finland. This concerns in particular all kinds of investments and technical support.

Income aid

For the years 2004 to 2007 the following amounts of income aid can be made available to farmers in Southern Finland in order to facilitate the successful implementation of the structural support programme:

2004	129 million €
2005	100 million €
2006	97 million €
2007	94 million €

It has to be taken into account that from 2005 onwards, Finland may grant additional support of 48 million € in the framework of the less favoured area payments, as agreed in the CAP reform of June 2003.

Finland will submit an evaluation report by 2006. The Commission will then examine whether continued support after 2007 is warranted.