§ Mr. DevaTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ensure that other member states comply with the rules in the common agricultural policy.
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§ Mr. JackEnsuring member state compliance with Community rules, including those concerning the CAP, is the responsibility of the European Commission.
The most effective sanction against non-compliance with CAP regulations is the Commission's powers to "disallow"—not reimburse—member states' expenditure which it believes was not in accordance with the rules. In December 1994, in its decision on the clearance of the 1991 CAP accounts, the Commission disallowed £1.2 billion of member states' 1991 CAP expenditure—almost 5 per cent. of the total. The Government will continue to do everything possible to ensure that the Commission makes full and proper use of these powers. For example, as a result of the United Kingdom's legal challenge to Commission disallowance decisions relating to breaches of the EC milk quota legislation by Italy, Spain and Greece, the disallowance due is increased by over 50 per cent.
We also fully support a measure soon to be implemented which, among other things, seeks to speed up the clearance of accounts process and improve the financial management of the CAP in all member states.
In addition, we are always ready to press the Commission to take action against another member state whenever evidence of breaches of the rules comes to light. Our agricultural attachès in other member states have specific instructions to be alert to such breaches. As a result of our initiatives, the Commission has recently ruled illegal state aids to French pig producers and Irish mushroom growers, requiring the aids to be repaid with interest.