WRITTEN QUESTION E-1597/00 by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN) to the Commission. Milk quotas.
Date: 2000-05-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: agricultural levy, agricultural quota, data transmission, information technology applications, regulation of agricultural production

C 81 E/58

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

Does the Council not consider that the criteria generally applied as regards the length of pre-trial detention
have not in fact been complied with in this case? If this is so, does it not consider that it should intervene,
within the framework of its new powers in the area of justice under the Amsterdam Treaty, to secure
compliance with reasonable periods for pre-trial detention and judgments or, failing that, the release of
defendants under Article 5(3) of the European Human Rights Convention?

Reply

(29 September 2000)

The questions raised by the Honourable Member of Parliament are not within the Council(cid:146)s competence.

(2001/C 81 E/067)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1597/00

by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN) to the Commission

(19 May 2000)

Subject: Milk quotas

The basic principle underlying all Community rules on milk quotas is that the purchaser is to all intents
and purposes the main (cid:145)actor(cid:146) in the system and is required to keep analytical accounts enabling each
Member State to quantify quickly and accurately the production marketed during a given period and thus
meet its commitments to the European Union. Does the Commission not think it would be useful to
suggest a technical solution to Member States whereby (cid:145)intelligent accounting(cid:146) could be used to enable
purchasers to notify an information system of each milk delivery made by producers?

The existence of surpluses would become apparent in real time enabling the administration to open the
levy procedure so as to discourage production surpluses.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(23 June 2000)

Community legislation on milk quotas leaves it to Member States to select where certain matters are
concerned the procedures most appropriate to their specific production conditions and administrative
systems.

The Honourable Member(cid:146)s suggestion of imposing (cid:145)intelligent accounting(cid:146) (direct purchaser inputting to
the Member State(cid:146)s central
information system of each producer(cid:146)s delivery figures) would certainly be
advantageous for rapid and reliable determination of the national delivery figure but clashes with operation
of the subsidiarity principle as indicated above.

Community legislation does however require Member States to take all necessary action to ensure
collection of the levy on quantities in excess of the guaranteed total quantity.

(2001/C 81 E/068)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1603/00

by Concepci(cid:243) Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Council

(15 May 2000)

Subject: Local elections in Equatorial Guinea

In the light of the announcement that local elections are to take place in Equatorial Guinea on 28 May
2000, it is worth bearing in mind that the last round of elections in that country failed to provide a
minimum level of transparency or the most basic democratic guarantees.