§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the comparative rates of hill livestock compensatory payments in the United Kingdom and each other member state of the European Union, expressed in terms of ecus per livestock units. [56908]
§ Mr. Rooker[holding answer 27 October 1998]: The information requested is not available in up to date form. The European Commission has previously provided the following crude data on the average amount of compensatory allowance paid in 1994:
216W
ecu EU Member State Average amount of less favoured area compensatory allowance per livestock unit Belgium 85 Denmark n/a Germany 93 Greece 61 Spain 36
ecu EU Member State Average amount of less favoured area compensatory allowance per livestock unit France 70 Ireland 88 Italy 57 Luxembourg 113 Netherlands 104 Portugal 54 United Kingdom 47 n/a = not applicable Source:
European Commission working document
It is up to each member state to determine the rates which are appropriate to its own circumstances and the precise conditions which may attach to these payments. The EU legislation requires that the payment must reflect the degree of permanent natural handicap which is found to exist in the Less Favoured Areas.