Magyar Dohányújság

Bovolone (VR) - Italy February 3^rd, 2008

UNITAB, FETRATAB and EFFAT, on behalf of the workers and of the enterprises of the tobacco chain in Italy, Spain, Greece, France, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania and in particular of :

-        100,000 tobacco growers and 400,000 workers in the European tobacco farms;

-        tens of European companies and 30,000 workers in the first processing industry;

-        several thousands of workers in the ancillary industries and the other involved businesses, across the European tobacco chain:

REASSERT in full the contents of the joint document signed on February 4^th 2007 and in particular the fact that - after two years from the introduction of the reform - the role of tobacco remains essential in keeping the vitality of the rural environment in the devoted areas and no real viable alternative has emerged, either from the economic point of view or in terms of preserving the level of direct and related jobs, upstream and downstream.

CONFIRM, as a fact, the total economic and social failure of full decoupling in the tobacco sector wherever this option has been chosen in the EU Member States.

 

REFUSE, therefore, to support a social policy within the context of the second pillar, which merely seeks to disguise the mass destruction of existing jobs, and which deprives farmers of half of their income.

1.            the many initiatives undertaken by the tobacco producing Regions that, as was he case in Italy and in Spain, went as far as to officially inform their national Governments of their will to waive the transferals to the second pillar so to maintain tobacco growing alive;

2.            that in Greece, at the Agriculture Ministry, the concerned parties have started to discuss possible measures to restart the dismissed tobacco growing activity;

3.            that in Bulgaria, just a few months ago more than 65,000 small tobacco growers have started to seriously worry about their future after their Country excitedly joined the EU;

4.            that from the many studies, included those requested or financed by the European Commission itself, as well as by the World Health Organization, showed no serious or significant alternative to tobacco growing until today, in terms of market outlets economic viability and job creation;

APPRECIATE and share all of the aspects of the joint letter signed on December 17^th 2007 by the Ministers of almost all producing Member States and presented to the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Fischer Boel. The letter, after witnessing what happened in the different tobacco regions in the first two years of implementation of the CMO reform:

-        acknowledge - with a much common sense - the effectiveness of the partial decoupling scheme, conceived by the Commission for the first phase of the reform;

-        indicate at the same time the need to make sure the positive effects of this scheme - already visible - could have a full development, by allowing the extension until 2013;

-        ask for the extension and for the application of similar measures in the new Member States;

DEMAND that tobacco growing be treated in the same way as all the other agricultural sectors, and that the rules of so called "transitional" period of the CMO be extended through 2013, without any change.

DEMAND that, in the new Member States, the current support systems, mainly based on national financing, also be extended until 2013 to prevent production abandonment and loss of jobs and revenues, while foreseeing a gradual and shared introduction of a portion of decoupled support, just up to the limit that those productions can bear;

CONFIRM the commitment taken - by sharing the guidelines of the UNITAB European Tobacco Charter and by following the strictest legal requirements and social responsibilities practices in their activities - to long term ethical production of quality tobacco, that meets the highest economic, social, health and environmental standards in force in Europe, always improving the high level of quality and product integrity that European farmers and processors have successfully reached in recent years, through their common efforts.

CALLS ON the European Manufacturers industry to recognize through the extension of the agreements already signed with some Governments, and their buying programs - also by granting to European tobacco a rewarding commercial price - the efforts that have been already done and are still in progress, by European tobacco growers and processors, in terms of quality and rationalization, also to distinguish themselves from the non European countries and to fully respond to the legitimate demands of the European consumer.

 

COUNT on the support of regional and national public authorities and of all the European institutions to create a political and economic framework, that will guarantee the long term future of the crop within the context of a fair Market Organization and Common Agricultural Policy, as stated in the agreement that led to the reform of June 2003 and to avoid the risks that the Commission itself indicates in the Communication on the "health check" of the CAP, deriving from full decoupling.

COMMIT themselves, at the same time, to actively investigate shared alternative solutions for the support to European tobacco production in the years after 2013, for example based on the consumption of finished products.