IN THE SAME, IN ADDITION TO THE DELAY IN PAYMENT OF AID, NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE REGULATIONS IS RECOGNIZED (CE) 247/2006.

Livestock farmers increasingly express the difficulties they have to overcome to survive. Added to the increase in input costs is the little or no diligence of the central and regional governments when it comes to paying community aid.. COALDEA has stood up and said ENOUGH!, denouncing the situation in Brussels.

This is how the president of the Cooperative of Dairy and Livestock Producers of Gran Canaria COALDEA expresses himself bluntly., Claudio Quintana, who has decided to step forward and report, before the European Commission, the constant non-compliance and delays that the Government of the Canary Islands and that of Spain, they are committing with the livestock sector.

Quintana explains to Agroaldea that after the announcement in the year 2009, in which both administrations will be responsible for the aid in equal parts, The Government of the Canary Islands published the bases in August 2010. In November he published the subsidy order and in February 2011 the resolution.

It was between the months of May and June 2011, eighteen months late, when the aid to livestock farmers financed by state funds corresponding to the year was paid 2009. Despite the delay, They were not paid in full either.greatly the aid requested, Quintana declares. Like this, Goat milk producers saw the €144.00/Tm to which they were entitled reduced, in a 5% approximately.

Despite the complaints, the writings, the appeals for reconsideration and the legal claims filed by various ranchers on an individual basis, denouncing this apparent violation of community law, in the year 2010, the situation repeats itself, says Claudio Quintana.

In this way, in December 2011 POSEI aid for livestock corresponding to the year is called again 2010, are resolved in February 2012 and it is still unknown when they will be paid. Once again, it should be noted that the aid allocated to producers of goat and sheep milk has been reduced., without this reduction being justified in the slightest, Quintana declares.

Regarding the aid corresponding to 2011, It is not even known if they will be called, since the item for POSEI has disappeared from the general budgets of the State for 2012. Today, pending negotiation between the Government of the Canary Islands and the Ministry of Agriculture, There is not a single euro allocated for this item of State aid, explains Quintana.

To make matters worse, Quintana regrets that in the case of goat and sheep milk, most characteristic production of Canarian livestock, This is almost entirely used for the production of fresh cheese., semi-cured and cured. However, This cheese has to suffer unfair competition from imported cheese with aid from the Specific Supply Regime.

Breach of Articles 2,3 and 11 of the regulation (CE) 247/2006.

In subsidized products within the Specific Supply Regime, R.E.A., all types of cheeses are included, with a subsidy that ranges between €375.00 and €405.00 per ton; While, within the support measures for local productions, cow's milk production is subsidized, goat and sheep, with a joint amount for the industry and the producer of €190.00/Tm of raw milk produced and processed, used mostly for cheese production.

Quintana understands that there is a clear inconsistency in the simultaneous existence of said measures, contravening the aforementioned articles. In addition, It must be considered that cheese is the only industrial product, made in the Canary Islands, which not only does not have any type of tariff protection, via AIEM (Import Tax), but also has to face competition from the same product coming from other regions of the European Union benefiting from a significant subsidy..

With everything, It is normal for ranchers to run out of patience and understand that the regional administration, instead of protecting them, like other agricultural or industrial products, It beats them to the point of disappearance with total impunity and in contravention of what was agreed with Europe..

If this is not abuse… Then we take pride in the prizes and awards our cheeses receive in world competitions and competitions.. They should get more for surviving in the impossible. Will there be an explanation?.