Draft Press Release

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT The Secretariat Mission report EP Agriculture Committee mission to Savoy and Upper Savoy (French Alps) 21-23 July 2015 A delegation of Members of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament visited the French departments of Savoie (Savoy) and Haute Savoie (upper Savoy) from 21 to 23 July 2015. The aim of the visit was to better understand the specific conditions of agricultural production in high mountain regions, and in particular in the French Alps, especially in the wine, cheese and horticulture sectors. Savoie and Haute- Savoie, situated in the Rhône-Alpes region, have developed close economic ties and implement a 'common policy' in the agriculture sector. The delegation was organised by Michel Dantin (EPP, FR) and included: Daniel Buda (EPP, RO), Herbert Dorfmann (EPP, IT), Ulrike Müller (ALDE, DE), Martin Häusling (Greens, DE), James Nicholson (ECR, UK), Lidia Senra Rodriguez (GUE, ES) and Marco Zullo (EFD, IT). Françoise Grossetête (EPP, FR) also joined the delegation as an accompanying Member on 22 July. The delegation programme included mainly field visits to vineyards, milk farms, milk cooperatives and cheese processing units. During these visits, the delegation also had meetings with representatives of local farm trade union associations (FDSEA) as well as representatives from professional organisations and cooperatives in the wine and dairy sectors. Highlights: Tuesday 21 July 2015 - Vineyards of La Combe de Savoie Wednesday 22 July - Cheese cooperatives - Beaufortin and Tarentaise areas Thursday 23 July - Farm-produced cheese - Aravis massif (Upper Savoy) Members found the programme and presentations made extremely interesting and useful to understand the specificities of the farming sector in both departments, and in mountain regions in general. They were impressed both by the importance given to investments in regional quality products such as PDO (protected designation of origin) cheeses and wines and by efforts made by producers and authorities to boost and promote these products either through direct sales or cooperatives, participating thereby to job creation, landscape preservation and the development of rural areas. Local hosts for their part were grateful to Parliament Members who visited them and were able to see on the ground how they invest the support they receive from the CAP. They also, on several occasions, praised the European Parliament for the results achieved under the last CAP reform, especially in the wine sector where plantings will remain under control thanks to MEPs insistence. The local press also followed the delegation on several occasions and issued positive reports (see annex). Tuesday 21 July 2015 - Vineyards of La Combe de Savoie The delegation started its works on 21 July in the afternoon with a visit to Maison de la Vigne et du Vin in Apremont were they heard presentations from the Chairs of the Syndicat régional des vins de Savoie and of the Comité interprofessionel des vins de Savoie (Interbranch organisation). Savoie wines are produced from 23 different grape varieties, thanks to the diversity of its soil types and vineyard expositions (at altitudes between 300 and 1500 metres). Many of these are unique to the Savoie wine region. Wine is produced on 2200 hectares, 3 protected designations of origins (Savoie, Roussette de Savoie and Seyssel PDOs) are recognised and some 20 geographic designations are produced (2/3 are white wines) with an average of 125 000 hl/year. Considerable efforts have been made in the last decades by producers with a view to preserving the specificity of Savoy wines and to develop quality production. Representatives from the sector said they expected the European Institutions to improve the protection of PDO-PGIs at world level and to dedicate more resources to the fight against vineyard diseases with could cause huge losses in the sector. Members then had the opportunity to visit steep-slope vineyards in the Combe de Savoie where the specificities of wine production in mountain areas were explained. Most vineyards are very small, disseminated on slope and require substantial workforce and specific equipment to work on the slopes. In the evening, they visited a vine nursery and cave on the estate of Jean Vullien in Fréterive. The nursery produces about 1 million vine cuttings and plants every year from a wide range of vine varieties (not only Savoy ones). The plants are produced in a rotation system with other cultures such as maize so as to minimise pests and diseases. Vine nursery is an important and job-creating segment of the wine sector in the region. The delegation ended the day with a presentation on 'oenotourism', which is developing rapidly in the region, and a dinner with locally elected and state representatives at the Jean Vullien estate. Wednesday 22 July - Cheese production in Beaufortin and Tarentaise areas On 22 July, the delegation started the day with a visit to the milk cooperative Coopérative laitière de Haute Tarentaise in Bourg Saint Maurice. This cooperative collects 7 200 000 litres of milk from 55 producers in the area and produces 16 600 rounds of Beaufort cheese every year as well as other milk products. New buildings and equipment have been progressively put into place since 1991 thanks notably to EU support (12% of total costs). All members of the cooperatives have the same power in the cooperative decisions (1 producer = 1 voice) and producers are paid a decent price of 0,74 euros/litre (compared to around 0,32 euros on average on the European market and 0,35 euros on average in France), thanks to investments in quality production. Specifications of Beaufort cheese require for example that cows are fed only with grass or hay from local pastures. The delegation then visited a goat farm run by two young farmers in Les Chapieux. The couple owns 60 goats and produces goat cheese and other mountain products such as honey which they sell directly in their own shop. They recently installed and benefited from installation support, inter alia from the EU. This visit was also an opportunity to raise the question of wolf attacks on livestock which are becoming more and more frequent, cause great losses and stress to both animals and producers and raise the politically sensitive question of the revision of the habitats directive. The delegation afterwards went up to the high mountain pastures of Cormet de Roselend (Beaufortain massif) where they visited a milk farm and could witness the difficulty of milk collection at such altitudes (2000 metres). Milk is produced from local cow breeds adapted to the topography and climate. Cows stay on the pasture from May to October and produce about 4200 tonnes of milk per year. The milk is used mainly for Beaufort cheese production and the price paid to producers goes up to 0,82 euros/litre. The milk quality is directly linked with the biodiversity of the pastures. On the pastures, Members had lunch at Refuge du Plan Mya which is run by the owner of the milk farm they were visiting. In the afternoon, the delegation went down the Val d'Arly valley to visit another milk cooperative in Flumet (1000 metres altitude). This cooperative produces and sells mainly Reblochon cheese as well as other cheeses (including Beaufort) and milk products such as yogurt. The milk is collected from 71 producers and produced at an altitude ranging from 500 metres to 1600 metres. Some 10 000 000 litres are collected every year by the cooperative. Large investments have been made since 2012 with a view to modernising the cheese production unit, to diversifying production and to improving the conditioning and expedition systems. Products are sold at the cooperative and in different shops across the region thanks to the development of agro- tourism. The cooperative offers a presentation of the products for tourists via interactive tools. The delegation ended this intensive day with a dinner offered by local authorities at La ferme auberge des Corbassières (Aravis massif). Thursday 23 July - Aravis massif (Upper Savoy) On 23 July, the delegation first visited the sheep farm Le petit Agnellet in La Clusaz, a famous ski resort and a major touristic spot. The farmers own 180 ewes which are fed on 23 hectares and produce and sell directly their own cheese. They also run a bed and breakfast. They were established in 1989 in an old farm and had to fight since then against rapid urbanisation which is reducing significantly reducing the size of pastures around their farm. Hay needs to be collected on steep slopes and formed into balls on the farm. Producers in the area are also affected by wolf attacks and have become more and more reluctant to leave their animals on pastures, which also causes a landscape maintenance problem. The delegation then visited a farm run by three associate Members at GAEC Le Vent des Cîmes in Serraval, Aravis massif (GAEC is the accronym for Groupement d'exploitation en commun, a type of producers' group) specialised in farm-produced reblochon cheese. The farm has two units, one in the valley where animals and feed are kept during the winter and one on the high mountain pastures where animals stay from May to October. The buildings have specific features adapted to mountain conditions such as solid roofing and hay drying systems to ensure maximum feed quality. Specific and expensive tractors adapted to steep slopes are also necessary to collect the hay. 1,2 million euros have been invested recently on the farm and public support received (for one of the two buildings only) represents less than 6%. The farmers pay great attention to the preservation of high quality pastures to ensure the best milk quality.

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