Vol. 554 No. 5
236 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his Department's proposals to bring forward the dairy cow premium from the proposed date of 2005; if his attention has been drawn to the claims by the farming organisations that it should be brought forward to 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15442/02]
I am not aware that the farming organisations have made any demand for the early introduction of the dairy cow premium in 2002. The dairy cow premium was part of a package of measures negotiated under Agenda 2000 and was the mechanism agreed to compensate farmers, by means of direct payment, for the planned reduction of 15% in the intervention price, to be implemented in three equal steps in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The first phase of the dairy cow premium is due to be paid in 2005 to coincide with the first phase of the price reduction.
Any change in the phasing of payments would require a proposal from the EU Commission and agreement in the Council of Ministers. Given the linkage between the dairy cow premium and the intervention price reduction, I do not expect the Commission would seek to bring forward the compensation element alone.
