Brussels, 03/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - In the framework of the “infringements package” of Thursday 10 July, the European Commission will once again ask Italy to recover the surplus levies owed by Italian dairy producers. This is the second stage of the infringement procedure, with a reasoned opinion sent to the country, following a letter of formal notice on 20 June 2013 (see EUROPE 10871). If Italy does not come into line, the Commission could decide to bring the country before the Court of Justice of the EU.
Italy will be asked to address shortcomings in the recovery of the surplus levies due from dairy producers who exceeded their individual quotas in the years when Italy overran its national milk quota.
Despite repeated and numerous requests made by the Commission, the majority of levies due between 1995 and 2009 have still not been recovered by the Italian authorities, who have manifestly not taken the appropriate measures to effectively recover the total estimated amount of at least €1.42 billion. The Commission stresses that this amount needs to be reimbursed to the Italian budget, so that the Italian taxpayers do not lose out.
“The failure to ensure the effective recovery of these levies undermines the efforts undertaken at European level to stabilise the market of dairy products. In addition, it creates distortions of competition with other European and Italian producers who respected the production quotas or paid the surplus levies in case of overrun”, the Commission explains. (LC)