13 May 1993

Doc. 6837

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

on new policies for the promotion of non-food production

in agriculture and related equipment-supply

presented by Mr SCHEER and others

1.       The Assembly notes with concern that European firms producing machines, equipment, tools or services for the agricultural sector are experiencing a serious degradation of traditional markets for their products and services and that this situation has already led to lay-offs and shut-downs - a trend that is likely to continue.

2.       This evolution is a direct consequence of the ongoing degradation of the agricultural sector in Europe (mainly food production). Nevertheless the agricultural sector can play a particularly important future role in supplying renewable raw materials for a sustainable society which would create new demands for machines, equipment, tools and services.

3.       Agriculture, industrial production and private households have contributed to a serious increase in air, water and soil pollution and to a general degradation of the environment, requring urgent action to promote the sustainable management and use of the earth's resources notably reducing the waste of finite resources, such as fossil fuels -a major cause of present pollution.

4.       The Assembly therefore calls on the governments of the Council of Europe member states and the European Community:

i.       to assess the future scope for non-food production on agricultural land (including the building of wind and solar energy generators);

ii.       to analyse the resulting new product and service demands which can be met by the European agricultural equipment supply and services industry;

iii.       to design policy instruments that will favour non-food production on agricultural land and result in new production tasks and employment for the European agricultural equipment supply and services industry.

Signed:       Scheer, Bindig, Terborg, Lanner, Thompson, Bühler, van der Linden, González Laxe, Soell, Büchler