Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 22: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his future plans for the renegotiation of milk quota levies in view of his recent media comments; if he will outline any proposals he has to mitigate the impact of the milk super levy on affected milk producers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23252/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the arrangements agreed in the run up to the abolition of milk quotas in 2015, Ireland will have received an additional 9.3% in quota between 2007 and 2014. However for some Member States, including Ireland, these quota increases are proving insufficient to accommodate increases in milk production which have been driven by supply and demand dynamics, and the prospect of a quota free production environment post 2015.

Over the past year, I and my Department have been extremely active in raising the question of a further adjustment to the milk quota regime at every appropriate opportunity. We have made determined efforts to secure a soft landing for all Member States in the lead-up to milk quota abolition in 2015, as envisaged in the 2008 CAP Health Check agreement. I have discussed the matter extensively with other EU Agriculture Ministers, including in bilateral meetings with my Danish, French, German, Estonian and Finnish counterparts. Furthermore, officials from my Department have raised this issue at EU level meetings, and at bilateral meetings with other Member States. The Commission is due to prepare the second interim report on the Health Check by the end of this year and we have called for it to consider measures to ensure a smooth transition in all countries.

However, the Commission has consistently resisted attempts to reconsider this issue, as it has resisted attempts to revisit the outcome of the 2008 CAP Health Check in an overall sense. The Commissions view is supported by a number of Member States, some of whom are firmly against any further adjustment to the Health Check agreement.

At this point therefore, it would appear that since a majority of Member States do not support any further adjustment to the soft landing, farmers should plan for the continuation of the quota regime until March 2015.

Milk producers are reminded that responsibility for the management of milk quota rests firmly with them. It is their responsibility to ensure that the enterprise remains under quota allocation. I do acknowledge that, in the current climate where markets are strong and farmers are being encouraged to prepare for increased expansion post 2015, remaining within quota is a difficult task but this is a challenge farmers are likely to face in each of the coming three milk quota years.