§ Mr. Oliver HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to challenge the European Commision's decision to reduce penalties on Italy, Spain and Greece for exceeding the milk quotas.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggWe have lodged challenges in the European Court of Justice against the Commission's decisions to reduce the penalties on Italy, Greece and Spain for exceeding their milk quotas in the late 1980s. The challenges affect the 1989 penalties on Italy and the 1990 penalties on all thre countries. We believe the Commission exceeded its powers by reducing penalties for these years and by announcing its intention to reduce them in the accounts for 1991–1993. The rules on milk quotas are rigorously implemented in the United Kingdom and we expect the Commission to ensure that they are properly enforced elsewhere in the European Community. Taxpayers in the Community should not have to shoulder the loss to the Community budget of some £2 billion which the Commission's actions could entail.