WRITTEN QUESTION No. 653/98 by Gerardo FERNÁNDEZ-ALBOR to the Commission. Revision of the Galician milk quota
Date: 1998-03-10
Institutions: European Parliament, FERNANDEZ ALBOR
Subjects: Galicia, aid to agriculture, dairy production, distribution of production, hill farming, production quota, production surplus, regulation of agricultural production, young farmer

19. 11. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 354/17

The correct translation of (cid:145)diploma universitario(cid:146) into German is (cid:145)abgeschlossenes Hochschulstudium(cid:146), and that
is the term used on the notice of competition COM/A/1047 (97/C 145 A/02) published in the Official Journal.
With regard to Competition COM/A/720 and COM/A/821, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member
to  the  judgment  given  on  3  March  1994  by  the  Court  of  First  Instance  in  Case  T-82/92  Corte·s  Jime·nez
v Commission.

The  Commission  would  draw  the  attention  of  the  Honourable  Member  to  the  fact  that  the  candidate  at
competition COM/A/104 has brought an action, registered at the Registry of the Court of First Instance under
number T-299/97 on 1 December 1997. Accordingly the Commission cannot give an answer because the matter
is sub judice.

(1)  OJ C 82, 17.3.1998.
(2)  OJ C 304, 2.10.1998, p. 15.

(98/C 354/43)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0653/98

by Gerardo Ferna·ndez-Albor (PPE) to the Commission

(10 March 1998)

Subject: Revision of the Galician milk quota

The recent public disturbances in Galicia (Spain) have demonstrated yet again how chronically out of step the
production quota of 1 670 000 tonnes of milk assigned to the Galician livestock sector is with the real production
figures, which are in access of 2 million tonnes.

For that reason, in order to (cid:145)normalize(cid:146) this quota overshoot, farmers must buy it outside Galicia or pay an annual
fine of some 1 800 million pesetas. Of the 29 000 Spanish livestock farmers who have to pay the Community fine
for  overproduction,  22  000  live  in  Galicia,  the  autonomous  community  with  the  lowest  average  production,
namely less than 34 000 kilos per farm.

What action might the Commission take in order to solve this chronic problem, which threatens to permanently
disrupt the Galician milk industry and is currently the cause of intense agitation and discontent owing to the fact
that no solution is in sight?

Answer given by Mr Fischler, on behalf of the Commission

(6 April 1998)

The Honourable Member is reminded that the total guaranteed quantity, or milk quota, allocated to Spain was
determined, as for the other Member States, on the basis of historical reference production levels. Thus producers
in Galicia were also allocated their individual reference quantity on this historical basis. Moreover, unlike most
other Member States, from 1994/1995 onwards Spain(cid:146)s quota was increased by an extra 592 000 tonnes. Much of
this additional quota was used to increase the individual reference quantities allocated to producers in Galicia.

It  should  also  be  recalled  that  Member  States  have  a  lot  of  room  for  manoeuvre  with  respect  to  their  total
guaranteed quantity, in that they may reallocate reference quantities and improve the distribution of available
quantities between various regions, according to needs identified using objective criteria.

Nevertheless,  under  the  proposals  of  the  Agenda  2000  reform  package,  adopted  on  18  March  1998 (1),  the
Commission  proposes  a  2%  increase  in  the  Community(cid:146)s  total  guaranteed  quantity,  including  1%  for  new
entrants and 1% for producers in mountain areas. Producers in Galicia will clearly benefit quite particularly from
these new allocations.

(1)  COM (98) 158 A.