Addressing the 'International Forum on
 Agriculture and Food' in Cernobbio on October 25th 2003, Commission
 Fischler outlined the basis for the Commission's cotton-sector reform
 proposals. He explained how in the cotton sector part of the current
 support would be incorporated into the single farm payment scheme
 with the rest being transferred into a new production aid, distributed
 on a per hectare basis. This new approach would further reduce the
 trade-distorting impact of EU cotton-sector support, which was already
 negligible.
Addressing EU Agricultural Ministers in October
 2003, Commissioner Fischler assured member states that with 40%
 of the payments still coupled, 60% decoupled and revenue coming
 from cotton cultivation, the gross margin to EU cotton farmers would
 still compare well to those from alternative crops.
Commission proposals for reform of the cotton
 regime were also set out in some detail at the Commission-convened
 seminar on cotton-sector reform which took place in Brussels on
 November 11th 2003.