Work
06.April 2006 - 00:00
Combliance with eligibility reguirements for EU argicultural support at certain Spanish glasshouse nurseries
UusiAccording to newspaper reports, most of those working on Spanish crop farms, and especially in Almerian glasshouses, are illegal immigrants. They are treated like outlaws: there are no employment contracts, workers are not registered, working time is not recorded, and employees can be dismissed without notice.
Almerian crop growers have been receiving EU support since 1986 and a high proportion of it has been used to build glasshouses. Their fields are the source of, among other things, tomatoes found on EU supermarket shelves, but beneath the business of growing them, the hidden reality involves serious violations of working conditions, which taxpayers are, unfortunately, subsidising through EU agricultural support.
The answer which I received from the Commission (Vladimir Spidla) on 12 January 2006 to my Question E‑4417/05 dealt with one of the points raised, namely what the Commission might do to improve working conditions. It said nothing, however, about the question whether the eligibility requirements for EU agricultural support were being met in a region where illegal immigrants account for the bulk of the labour force.
Does the Commission consider a region to be eligible for EU agricultural support when its labour force consists mainly of illegal immigrants?
E-0664/06EN
Answer given by Ms Fischer-Boel
on behalf of the Commission
(6.4.2006)
In the Commission’s view, the eligibility of a region to EU support and the respect by investors of the EU rules and eligibility conditions are two different questions.
In the case of investment support (i.e. for construction of greenhouses) by the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) within rural development programmes, the beneficiary has to comply with the conditions and eligibility rules set out in the Community legislation. Among other things, the beneficiary must demonstrate the economic viability of the agricultural holding, respect minimum standards regarding the environment, hygiene and animal welfare, and possess adequate occupational skills and competence. As a general rule, eligible expenditure must be justified by invoices or other accounting documents of equivalent probative value.
From the above, it becomes clear that the Community has put in place detailed rules for the eligibility of co-financed operations as far as their development (e.g. investment) stage is concerned. Once the operations are completed, the economic operators have to run their holdings during their economic lifecycle (e.g. day-to-day management and harvesting work in the greenhouses) according to other Community and national rules as applicable, such as those concerning the working conditions. For the latter, the Commission initiatives stated in its reply to the Honourable Member’s previous written question E-4417/05 are of obvious value.
As far as other EU agricultural support to farmers involved in the produce mentioned by the Honourable Member is concerned, in particular under the Common Market Organization for Fruit and Vegetables, it goes without saying that detailed eligibility rules, specific for the operations covered and their expenditure, are set out in the relevant regulations. These rules do not provide for employment conditions of workers in the fields, since these conditions are addressed in other applicable Community and national legislation.
Saying this, the primary responsibility for checking whether the Community or national rules are respected as regards the employment conditions in the different firms in their day-to-day management belongs to the Member States.
UusiAccording to newspaper reports, most of those working on Spanish crop farms, and especially in Almerian glasshouses, are illegal immigrants. They are treated like outlaws: there are no employment contracts, workers are not registered, working time is not recorded, and employees can be dismissed without notice.
Almerian crop growers have been receiving EU support since 1986 and a high proportion of it has been used to build glasshouses. Their fields are the source of, among other things, tomatoes found on EU supermarket shelves, but beneath the business of growing them, the hidden reality involves serious violations of working conditions, which taxpayers are, unfortunately, subsidising through EU agricultural support.
The answer which I received from the Commission (Vladimir Spidla) on 12 January 2006 to my Question E‑4417/05 dealt with one of the points raised, namely what the Commission might do to improve working conditions. It said nothing, however, about the question whether the eligibility requirements for EU agricultural support were being met in a region where illegal immigrants account for the bulk of the labour force.
Does the Commission consider a region to be eligible for EU agricultural support when its labour force consists mainly of illegal immigrants?
E-0664/06EN
Answer given by Ms Fischer-Boel
on behalf of the Commission
(6.4.2006)
In the Commission’s view, the eligibility of a region to EU support and the respect by investors of the EU rules and eligibility conditions are two different questions.
In the case of investment support (i.e. for construction of greenhouses) by the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) within rural development programmes, the beneficiary has to comply with the conditions and eligibility rules set out in the Community legislation. Among other things, the beneficiary must demonstrate the economic viability of the agricultural holding, respect minimum standards regarding the environment, hygiene and animal welfare, and possess adequate occupational skills and competence. As a general rule, eligible expenditure must be justified by invoices or other accounting documents of equivalent probative value.
From the above, it becomes clear that the Community has put in place detailed rules for the eligibility of co-financed operations as far as their development (e.g. investment) stage is concerned. Once the operations are completed, the economic operators have to run their holdings during their economic lifecycle (e.g. day-to-day management and harvesting work in the greenhouses) according to other Community and national rules as applicable, such as those concerning the working conditions. For the latter, the Commission initiatives stated in its reply to the Honourable Member’s previous written question E-4417/05 are of obvious value.
As far as other EU agricultural support to farmers involved in the produce mentioned by the Honourable Member is concerned, in particular under the Common Market Organization for Fruit and Vegetables, it goes without saying that detailed eligibility rules, specific for the operations covered and their expenditure, are set out in the relevant regulations. These rules do not provide for employment conditions of workers in the fields, since these conditions are addressed in other applicable Community and national legislation.
Saying this, the primary responsibility for checking whether the Community or national rules are respected as regards the employment conditions in the different firms in their day-to-day management belongs to the Member States.