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(2004/C 65 E/145)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2312/03

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 July 2003)

Subject:   Milk quota for the autonomous region of the Azores

The Agriculture Council of 25/26 June 2003 reached a political agreement on CAP reform. Under this agreement, the solution found for the Azores milk quota was to extend the 73 000 tonne exemption for the 2003/2004 marketing year, provide a 61 500 tonne exemption for the 2004/2005 marketing year and fix an additional reference quantity of 50 000 tonnes from the 2005/2006 marketing year onwards. This solution is clearly inadequate given the needs of the milk sector on the Azores and in the light of Portugal's request for the quota to be increased to 100 000 tonnes, whilst at the same time other countries such as Greece secured increases of 120 000 tonnes.

I have already asked the Commission about the specific situation of the Azores milk sector and the status of the Azores as an outermost region in my Written Questions E-2538/99 (1) and E-3573/02 (2) The dairy sector is of strategic importance to the Azores, both upstream and downstream. It accounts for 80 % of gross agricultural product in the region, 25 % of milk delivered and over 13 % of Portugal's dairy farmers, equivalent to around 5 000 producers. In its report on the situation in Portuguese agriculture (3) the Commission itself recognises ‘the particular economic importance of this sector in the Azores’, which means that, again according to the Commission, ‘the problems linked to the development of Azores milk production merit specific attention and that these problems need a solution with appropriate measures’.

What is the Commission's view of the Council's conclusions in this regard, in the light of the sector's needs in the region and of its report on the specific situation of Portuguese agriculture? What measures will it take, in keeping with the report, in order to resolve this significant constraint for the Azores?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(1 August 2003)

The Honourable Member refers to the political agreement reached at the Council meeting on 26 June 2003 under which the milk quota for the Azores is to be increased by 50 000 tonnes from the 2005/2006 marketing year onwards. The Council also decided to extend the exemption from the levy, granted in 2001 to encourage the restructuring of the sector, covering a quantity of 73 000 tonnes in 2003/04 and 61 500 tonnes in 2004/2005.

Without passing judgement on the Council's political agreement, the Commission sees the result as a significant response to the Portuguese calls for the special nature of the Azores as an outermost region to be taken into account.

The Commission would remind the Honourable Member that guaranteed quantities are allocated at Member State level.

The Commission is pursuing its discussions with the Portuguese authorities with a view to the presentation of appropriate proposals as provided for in the report on the situation in Portuguese agriculture presented to the Thessaloniki European Council (19/20 June 2003).

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(1)OJ C 330 E, 21.11.2000, p. 19.

(2)  See page 17.

(3)  COM(2003) 359 of 19 June 2003.

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