French minister of agriculture Bruno Le Maire yesterday requested extra time from Brussels to compile his report on the reimbursement of allegedly illegal state handouts to fruit and vegetable producers between 1992 and 2002.
According to reports in the French press, the European Commission is likely to satisfy this request.
Mr Le Maire has also described the widely reported sum of €500m owed by French producers as “largely overvalued”, and has attempted to have the figure reduced.
However, according to French daily Les Echos, the sum demanded by Brussels could be closer to €700m than the €500m initially reported.
