Brussels is tightening the screw on EU funds for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). With its Decision of 3/10/2007 the European Commission has thus requested reimbursement of 145.2 million euros “corresponding to sums improperly disbursed and charged to the EU agricultural budget”. The member states from which the refunds (the 25th such measure since 1995) are requested are eleven: Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Italy, Ireland, France, Holland, Sweden, Portugal and the UK. Italy is being asked to refund 76.4 million euros – originally allocated in the form of aid to production – due to “quantitatively and qualitatively defective controls in the olive oil sector”. From France the Commission is asking the refund of almost 50 million for “failure to observe the criteria for the recognition of fruit and vegetable producing organizations”. The third largest “fine” is again levied against Italy: due to “shortcomings in controls on the production of dried animal feeds and the financial documents justifying requests for payments”, it must pay back over 6 million euros in aid to the EU.
