§ Mr. Corbettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what is the anticipated extra cost, to the United Kingdom and the European Community, of the decision taken by the Commission's dairy management committee on 13 June to increase the export subsidy on butter and other dairy products;
(2) what is the estimated extra tonnage of butter and other dairy products which the European Community expects to export as a result of the decision of the Commission's dairy management committee on 13 June to increase the export subsidy on butter and other dairy products.
§ Mr. MacGregorForecasts of the kind requested are not available. However, for the calendar year 1985 the Community budget provides for expenditure of 747 million ecu (£464 million) on export refunds on butter and butter oil at an estimated export volume of about 500,000 tonnes in butter equivalent. In the frist half of 1985 EEC exports of butter were depressed because the EEC offer prices have been well above prices obtaining on the world market. In proposing the recent increases in export refunds 569W to the Management Committee for Milk and Milk Products on 13 June, the Commission said that these increases could be funded from within the existing budgetary provision.
§ Mr. Corbettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what, for each year since its introduction, has been (a) the amount and (b) the cost of export subsidies on butter and other dairy products by category provided by the European Community.
Table 1 Exports from EC to Third Countries (Product Volumes) '000 tonnes 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 Butter and Butter Oil* (in Butter equivalent) 359 113 66 156 270 253 500 590 520 400 331 †415 Skimmed Milk Powder 283 305 191 167 417 410 665 611 518 374 253 †465 Cheese 156 190 156 144 177 173 214 282 311 331 358 — Other main milk products: Cream 4 11 13 19 8 11 0 4 13 3 1 — Whole Milk Powder 219 222 234 259 366 367 416 577 600 525 — — Processed Cheese — — — 94 94 96 112 114 93 113 — — Fresh Product (excluding Cream) — — — — — — — 153 196 199 221 — Condensed Milk 340 352 272 358 449 413 423 500 556 573 462 — Source: Eurostat (Cronos). Figures not available have been marked —. * Includes exports as food aid. † Commission estimate.
Table 2 FEOGA Guarantee Expenditure on Milk and Milk Products MUA MECU Export Refunds 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 Butter and Butter Oil* 328.1 343.8 328.5 697.4 1,236.9 1,313.5 2,087.9 2,745.8 1,886.3 1,521.3 436.4 494.8 SMP* 102.9 231.5 Cheese 242.1 378.6 Other Milk Products 434.6 621.5 * Includes expenditure on export refunds on dairy products exported as Food Aid. Source: EC Commission FEOGA Financial Reports.