As regards the Commission's argument that the scope for public authorities to adjust refunds seems to point to discretionary treatment of economic operators that goes beyond the simple management of tax revenue by reference to objective criteria, which, in the Court of Justice's view, may mean that the individual application of a general measure takes on the features of a selective measure , the French authorities underline that a general measure covering all producers was introduced starting in the 2009-2010 marketing year in view of the end of the milk quota system and that the refund threshold of 1 % or 2 % is not discriminatory, beca ...[+++]use it applies to all milk producers on the basis of the quantity in excess of the individual quota, which de facto means a reduction of the tax applied.

14. Regrets that the state aid-based compensation regime for indirect costs has created a new source of unfair competition on the EU single market among producers in electricity-intensive sectors, some of whom receive financial support from the authorities in their countries; urges that this compensation be harmonised and, if justified, be granted at European level in order to ensure a level playing field with global competitors and among European producers and ensure effective carbon leakage protection; notes that this is especiall ...[+++]y true for the six non-ferrous metals that are traded against prices determined by global demand and supply, mostly set by the London Stock Exchange; understands, therefore, that base metal producers are ‘price-takers’, which are unable to pass cost increases on to their customers; reaches the conclusion that it is imperative to keep compensations on indirect emissions in place; refers to the agreement on the establishment and operation of a market stability reserve which states that ‘in pursuing the goal of a level playing field, that review should also consider harmonised arrangements to compensate for indirect costs at the Union level’ ; refers in this connection to Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 on the implementation of the rules on competition laid down in Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty and to Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union; calls on the Commission to review the impact of various energy support schemes on the retail prices of energy which indirectly influence competitiveness of energy-intensive industries in individual Member States;

17. Regrets that the state aid-based compensation regime for indirect costs has created a new source of unfair competition on the EU single market among producers in electricity-intensive sectors, some of whom receive financial support from the authorities in their countries; urges that this compensation be harmonised and, if justified, be granted at European level in order to ensure a level playing field with global competitors and among European producers and ensure effective carbon leakage protection; notes that this is especiall ...[+++]y true for the six non-ferrous metals that are traded against prices determined by global demand and supply, mostly set by the London Stock Exchange; understands, therefore, that base metal producers are ‘price-takers’, which are unable to pass cost increases on to their customers; reaches the conclusion that it is imperative to keep compensations on indirect emissions in place; refers to the agreement on the establishment and operation of a market stability reserve (2014/0011/COD) which states that ‘in pursuing the goal of a level playing field, that review should also consider harmonised arrangements to compensate for indirect costs at the Union level’; refers in this connection to Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 on the implementation of the rules on competition laid down in Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty and to Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union ; calls on the Commission to review the impact of various energy support schemes on the retail prices of energy which indirectly influence competitiveness of energy-intensive industries in individual Member States;

− I visited the horticulturalist producer Johnson of Wixley in my constituency last week, where they expressed concerns about some elements of the recent pesticides package, particularly the strict cut-off criteria on certain pesticides where there are, as yet, no substitutes.

− I visited the horticulturalist producer Johnson of Wixley in my constituency last week, where they expressed concerns about some elements of the recent pesticides package, particularly the strict cut-off criteria on certain pesticides where there are, as yet, no substitutes.

If we move on from harmonisation at nought-percent vegetable fat, which has always been in the campaigning argument, we move to a position where we ask for safeguards for consumers, for the primary producers, and essentially for the standards that we set ourselves in the European Union.