WRITTEN QUESTION No. 282/97 by Giovanni BURTONE to the Council. The plight of Italian milk producers
Date: 1997-02-14
Institutions: BURTONE, European Parliament
Subjects: Italy, dairy production, fine, payment, production quota, professional association, quantitative restriction, trade union













EUR-Lex - 91997E0282 - EN






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91997E0282

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 282/97 by Giovanni BURTONE to the Council. The plight of Italian milk producers  


Official Journal C 367 , 04/12/1997 P. 0010 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-0282/97 by Giovanni Burtone (PPE) to the Council (14 February 1997)Subject: The plight of Italian milk producersItalian milk producers are facing a crisis caused by the 'milk quota' assigned to Italy, which was and remains totally inadequate given the country's actual production capacity and domestic demand. Although national consumption amounts to 15.5 million tonnes and production is in excess of 10.5 million tonnes, Italy has been allocated a quota of barely 9.9 million tonnes.Despite determined efforts to rationalize this sector, of which the Council and Commission are well aware, it has proved impossible to keep production within the quota limits. As a result, a super-levy has been imposed on 15 000 producers who were unable to keep production below the ceilings imposed. Most of these are unable to meet the fines without risking bankcruptcy. This is having a severe impact on the social fabric, the natural environment and, above all, the thousands of families whose livelihood depends on this sector.The farmers concerned are very angry and feel they have been unfairly penalised for the inadequate quota granted to their country. In the light of the above considerations:1. Does the Council not consider it both fair and necessary to increase Italy's milk quota by at least 600 000 tonnes with retrospective effect starting from the marketing year 1995/96?2. If the increase cannot be made retrospective, does the Council not agree that the appropriate authorities should provide support and special credit terms to enable farmers to meet the super-levy owing for the 1995/96 marketing year?Joint answer to Written Questions E-0240/97 and E-0282/97 (5 June 1997)At the Italian delegation's request, the Council has twice discussed the future of the Community milk regime and the specific problem of milk quotas, enabling all the Member States and the Commission to adopt positions on the approach to be followed in the subsequent examination of the question. In this connection the Council was informed of the difficult situation of the milk sector in Italy, particularly the problems raised by milk quota fines and the important decisions taken by the Italian Government. Various adjustments of milk quotas were requested.The importance attached to the future of the milk regime, given that the present arrangements are to lapse in the year 2000, was stressed.The question of the future of milk policy and milk quotas will be examined in a wider context in accordance with the following timetable: submission by the Commission of a report based on an analysis of the market situation; examination of the future of the COM in milk products - on the basis of that report in particular - at the informal Council meeting to be held in Middelburg in May; subsequent submission of formal Commission proposals.As regards the more specific question of an extension of the deadline for payment of the fines imposed on Itlay for exceeding the milk quotas, this falls within the Commission's field of competence.