Mr President, deadlock in the Council of Ministers over the own resources ceiling has only been broken by a deal over the level of fines imposed by the Commission on Italy, Spain and others for overshooting their milk quotas. The outcome will dismay and anger all those producers who have been forced to abide by the rules.

The vexed issue of milk quotas is important in my constituency of Northern Ireland, given the high degree of dependency of the economy on the agricultural industry. I have cases of milk producers facing financial ruin because their entire milk cheques have been cancelled to pay the milk quota levy in full. It is nothing but blatant discrimination against such producers that others who have wilfully breached the law should be let off to the tune of £700 million, which the rest of the Community must now find. There must be a level playing field for all producers and equality of treatment in the application of European Union rules.