EU dairy farmers face fines of almost 400 million ecu for exceeding their milk quotas in the year to the end of March

Date: 03/10/1996

Total deliveries to dairies were 1.12 million tonnes over quota. Not for the first time, Italy was the main offender, exceeding its quota by 478,000 tonnes. The Rome government will face a 'superlevy' of over 170,000 ecu, more than 40&percent; of the overall fine. Only four countries - Austria, Portugal, Finland and Sweden - stayed within their national limits.