Brussels, 15/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - Portugal will raise the question of milk quotas in the Azores during the European Council on Thursday and Friday in order to seek to adjust the direction taken after decisions in June 2003 on reform of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In conformity with what had been agreed at the summit in Nice in December 2000, milk producers in the Azores were exempted from having to pay out the additional levy up to 73,000 tonnes of milk. This measure is tantamount to excluding this volume of 73,000 tonnes for the national quota breakdown (3.86% of the Portuguese quota) corresponding to the level of total milk consumption on these islands.
During the debate on CAP reform at the Agriculture Council in June, it had been decided that this quantity of 73,000 should be reduced to 50,000 from 2004 on. Portugal, which had protested by deciding not to rally to the draft compromise on CAP reform, will seek to convince its partners to return to the situation prevailing until 2002-2003 (73,000 tonnes). The Italian Presidency should reserve a paragraph of the Council's conclusions to the problem of the specific nature of Portuguese agriculture but it is not at all certain that the specific request of this Member States will be accepted by the Heads of State and Government.