4. March 2007 Daniel Kruse

EIHA delegation

  • John Hobson
  • Bernd Frank
  • Michael Carus

FNPC

  • Sylvestre Bertucelli

(we had very good discussions with Sylvestre – we hope, that FNPC will enter EIHA this year!)
EU commission

  • Willi Schulz-Grewe – Deputy Head of the Unit (fibre plants etc.)
  • Vincent Oldenhove
  • Lady (without business card)

The meeting was very good and it took 2-3 hours instead of the planned 1 hour. John and Michael did two presentations about hemp cultivation and processing, market and price development – and about processing aid.
Mr. Schulz-Grewe and the others were very interested in our information and we discussed a lot together in a friendly atmosphere. They understand the situation of the european hemp industry and the need of a processing aid.
Concerning the aid it is not so easy, here the main results:

  • the trend is to finish all specific aids due to WTO regulations. Over the next (5 or 10?) years the flax and hemp processing aids will end.
  • if the processing aid for hemp short fibre will be “0” than also the aid for flax (long & short) will be “0”
  • a single aid regulation (90 – 110 €/t for all fibres) has only a low chance, because this would be a complete new regulation and a real new regulation will be most probably a zero aid for all fibres.
  • in our feeling most probable near future will be that the existing 160 (flax long fibre) / 90 (short fibre) € processing aid will continue over a few years.
  • Mr. Schulz-Grewe proposed us to look for financial support in the environmental and innovation departments in Brussels. In the future the support of them will be stronger than from the agriculture department. He will bring us in contact to the right persons there.
  • Mr. Schulz-Grewe asked for more economic details about hemp processing. We will collect and send the information to him.
  • There will be an update of the Ernst & Young market and economy study concerning short fibres. Probably Mr. Renault from ANDI will do the job again. We will provide him with information too.
    Best regards
    Michael Carus