Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 (repealed)Show full title

Subsection III Quota overrun

Article 78 Surplus levy

1. A surplus levy shall be payable on milk and other milk products marketed in excess of the national quota as established in accordance with Subsection II.

The levy shall be set, per 100 kilograms of milk, at EUR 27,83.

2. Member States shall be liable to the Community for the surplus levy resulting from overruns of the national quota, determined nationally and separately for deliveries and direct sales, and between 16 October and 30 November following the twelve-month period concerned, shall pay 99 % of the amount due to the EAGF.

3. If the surplus levy provided for in paragraph 1 has not been paid before the due date and after consultation of the Committee of the Agricultural Funds, the Commission shall deduct a sum equivalent to the unpaid surplus levy from the monthly payments within the meaning of Articles 14 and 15(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005. Before taking its decision, the Commission shall warn the Member State concerned, which shall make its position known within one week. Article 14 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2040/2000(1) shall not apply.

4. The Commission shall determine the arrangements for the implementation of this Article.

Article 79 Contribution of producers to the surplus levy due

The surplus levy shall be entirely allocated, in accordance with Articles 80 and 83, among the producers who have contributed to each of the overruns of the national quotas referred to in Article 66(2).

Without prejudice to Articles 80(3) and 83(1), producers shall be liable vis-à-vis the Member State for payment of their contribution to the surplus levy due, calculated in accordance with Articles 69, 70 and 80, for the mere fact of having overrun their available quotas.

Article 80 Surplus levy on deliveries

1. In order to draw up the definitive surplus levy statement, the quantities delivered by each producer shall be increased or reduced to reflect any difference between the real fat content and the reference fat content, using coefficients and on terms to be laid down by the Commission.

2. Where, at national level, the sum of deliveries adjusted in accordance with paragraph 1 is less than the deliveries actually made, the surplus levy shall be calculated on the basis of the latter. In such cases, each downward adjustment shall be proportionately reduced so as to bring the sum of adjusted deliveries into line with the deliveries actually made.

Where the sum of the deliveries adjusted in accordance with paragraph 1 is greater than the deliveries actually made, the surplus levy shall be calculated on the basis of the former.

3. Each producer's contribution to payment of the surplus levy shall be established by decision of the Member State, after any unused part of the national quota allocated to deliveries has or has not been re-allocated, in proportion to the individual quotas of each producer or according to objective criteria to be set by the Member States:

(a) either at national level on the basis of the amount by which each producer's quota has been exceeded;

(b) or firstly at the level of the purchaser and thereafter at national level where appropriate.

Article 81 Role of purchasers

1. Purchasers shall be responsible for collecting from producers contributions due from the latter by virtue of the surplus levy and shall pay to the competent body of the Member State, before a date and following a procedure to be laid down by the Commission, the amount of these contributions deducted from the price of the milk paid to the producers responsible for the overrun or, failing this, collected by any other appropriate means.

2. Where a purchaser fully or partially replaces one or more other purchasers, the individual quotas available to the producers shall be taken into account for the remainder of the twelve-month period in progress, after deduction of quantities already delivered and account being taken of their fat content. This paragraph shall also apply where a producer transfers from one purchaser to another.

3. Where, during the reference period, quantities delivered by a producer exceed that producer's available quota, the relevant Member State may decide that the purchaser shall deduct part of the price of the milk in any delivery by the producer concerned in excess of the quota, by way of an advance on the producer's contribution, in accordance with detailed rules laid down by the Member State. The Member State may make specific arrangements to enable purchasers to deduct this advance where producers deliver to several purchasers.

Article 82 Approval

Purchaser status shall be subject to prior approval by the Member State in accordance with criteria to be laid by the Commission.

The conditions to be fulfilled and information to be provided by producers in the case of direct sales shall be established by the Commission.

Article 83 Surplus levy on direct sales

1. In the case of direct sales, each producer's contribution to payment of the surplus levy shall be established by decision of the Member State, after any unused part of the national quota allocated to direct sales has or has not been re-allocated, at the appropriate territorial level or at national level.

2. Member States shall establish the basis of calculation of the producer's contribution to the surplus levy due on the total quantity of milk sold, transferred or used to manufacture the milk products sold or transferred by applying criteria fixed by the Commission.

3. No correction linked to fat content shall be taken into account for the purpose of drawing up the definitive surplus levy statement.

4. The Commission shall determine how and when the surplus levy must be paid to the Member State's competent body.

Article 84 Amounts paid in excess or unpaid

1. Where, in the case of deliveries or direct sales, the surplus levy is found to be payable and the contribution collected from producers is greater than that levy, the Member State may:

(a) use partially or totally the excess to finance the measures in point (a) of Article 75(1), and/or

(b) redistribute it partially or totally to producers who:

• (b) fall within priority categories established by the Member State on the basis of objective criteria and within the period to be laid down by the Commission, or

• are affected by an exceptional situation resulting from a national rule unconnected with the quota system for milk and other milk products set up by this Chapter.

2. Where it is established that no surplus levy is payable, any advances collected by purchasers or the Member State shall be reimbursed no later than the end of the following twelve-month period.

3. Where a purchaser does not meet the obligation to collect the producers' contribution to the surplus levy in accordance with Article 81, the Member State may collect unpaid amounts directly from the producer, without prejudice to any penalties it may impose upon the defaulting purchaser.

4. Where a producer or a purchaser fails to comply with the time limit for payment, interest on arrears to be fixed by the Commission shall be paid to the Member State.

(1)

OJ L 244, 29.9.2000, p. 27.