WRITTEN QUESTION No. 653/98 by Gerardo FERNÁNDEZ-ALBOR to the Commission. Revision of the Galician milk quota
19. 11. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 354/17 The correct translation of ádiploma universitarioí into German is áabgeschlossenes Hochschulstudiumí, 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 ánormalizeí 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guaranteed quantity, or milk quota, allocated to Spain was determined, as for the other Member States, on the basis of historical reference production levels.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 Spainís 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 Communityís 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