WRITTEN QUESTION P-1689/99 by Umberto Bossi (TDI) to the Commission. Milk production.
Date: 1999-09-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, agricultural quota, common agricultural policy, competence of the Member States, infringement of EU law, milk

C 203 E/24

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2000

(2000/C 203 E/030)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1687/99

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(22 September 1999)

Subject: The multiannual operational programme for agriculture and rural development in Galicia 1994-

1999

The multiannual operational programme for agriculture and rural development in Galicia 1994-1999 was
adopted by the Commission via Decision C(94)3596 of 14 December 1994.

This programme is divided into a number of subprogrammes, concerning respectively: (1) concentration of
holdings; (2) nature conservation and measures to prevent fires; (3) agricultural production: modernisation,
exploitation and improvement of food quality.

Can the Commission provide information on the level of
programmes, for each year of the period 1994-1999?

funding allocated to each of

the above

Can the Commission provide information on the reasons which led the regional government of Galicia not
to publish, in 1997, an official notice which would have permitted requests for aid under the subpro-
gramme relating to modernisation, exploitation and improvement of food quality, pursuant to the Spanish
Royal Decree No 204 of 1996?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(22 October 1999)

As stated by the Honourable Member, the (cid:145)Agriculture and rural development(cid:146) operational programme for
the region of Galicia, which is part-financed by the Community, comprises three subprogrammes.

Subprogramme I, (cid:145)Improving the conditions of agricultural production and rural life(cid:146), has funding for the
programming period of € 122 930 000 from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund
(EAGGF) (cid:129) Guidance Section. This is divided into six instalments, the first for 1994 of € 20 530 000 and
those for the next five years of € 20 480 000 per year.

Subprogramme II, (cid:145)Protection and conservation of natural resources(cid:146) has total funding of € 113 220 000
divided into six annual instalments, 1994: € 6 600 000, 1995: € 12 970 000, 1996: € 21 220 000, 1997:
€ 22 640 000, 1998: € 24 120 000 and 1999: € 25 670 000.

Subprogramme III, (cid:145)Conversion (increase) and reorientation of food quality and diversification of agricul-
tural activity(cid:146) has appropriations totalling € 67 380 000; 1994: € 8 859 000, 1995: € 10 456 000, 1996:
€ 10 876 000, 1997: € 11 668 000, 1998: € 12 592 000 and 1999: € 12 929 000.

It should also be noted that the (cid:145)Agriculture and rural development(cid:146) operational programme for Galicia is
based on an aid scheme system.

This means that no call for tenders is required.

The Commission would advise the Honourable Member to request the various institutions concerned, in
particular the Xunta of Galicia and the Ministry of Agriculture, to provide more detailed information on
this subject.

(2000/C 203 E/031)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1689/99

by Umberto Bossi (TDI) to the Commission

(20 September 1999)

Subject: Milk production

Last July Italy gave notification of the milk levies to purchasers and producers,
in accordance with
Regulation (EEC) No 3950/92 (1), for the 95/96 and 96/97 marketing years. The levies were calculated on
the basis of the milk production data modified pursuant to Law 5/98, which are different from the data
supplied to the EU and from the exemption from economic area quotas, defined in the compensation

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priorities which have already been annulled by the Italian Constitutional Court. Law 118/99, paragraph 17,
requires milk producers to certify the new milk production data, which are different from those initially
validated by producers and entered into the purchasers(cid:146) and producers(cid:146) accounts. The quantities modified
are in excess of 500 000 tonnes.

Can the Commission answer the following:

1. Given that all the purchasers have refused to modify the data initially validated, is the compensation
that has been implemented late, on the basis of the new data provided by the Italian authorities,
reliable and legally valid? Does it therefore place a binding requirement on producers to pay the levy?

2. The purchasers have not paid the levies or the instalments by the deadline specified in Law 118/99.
Is it legitimate for milk purchasers to continue holding back the payment of sums, as already notified
levies, relating to 1995 and subsequent years?

3. How can the fact that there are entire economic areas in which all producers, without distinction, are
exempted from the application of the scheme, by virtue of a national law, be reconciled with the
regulations in force?

4. Must the operators in these areas which request support measures from the Union demonstrate, as
others do, that they have complied with the Union(cid:146)s rules and implemented measures in line with
Community strategies?

5. How do the Community supervisory bodies intend to deal with situations in which there is a clear
discrepancy between the accounting and tax data and the data on the basis of which the levy has been
charged?

(1) OJ L 405, 31.12.1992, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(19 October 1999)

The management of milk quotas in Italy and collection of the supplementary levy where those quotas have
been exceeded has given rise to many difficulties and disputes, resulting in a number of enquiries by
Community bodies and the establishment by Italy of a (cid:145)commissione di garanzia quote latte(cid:146) (milk quota
guarantee commission) to look at the reference quantities for each individual producer. The results of that
work, which was finished in 1999, were sent to the Commission, which found that in general the situation
with regard to the individual reference quantities had been clarified. The disputes still to be settled are now
a matter for the Italian courts.

The replies to the questions are as follows:

1. The Commission is awaiting factual details concerning finalisation of the recovery proceedings arising

from this enquiry.

2.

3.

It is up to the Italian authorities to collect the amounts incontestably due from the purchasers (dairies),
which in turn have to recover them from the producers.

EU rules apply throughout Italy. The Commission regards the selection, on objective criteria, of
categories of priority producers to receive favourable treatment under the end-of-year compensation as
quite legitimate and in accordance with those rules. Location in a less-favoured region is a valid
objective criterion with the main aim of avoiding a further fall in production in regions which are
already in difficulty.

4. Yes.

5. The Commission is monitoring the situation in Italy closely and has already intervened on a number

of occasions, mainly through infringement proceedings and the clearance of accounts.