CONSORZIO DEL PROSCIUTTO DI SAN DANIELE-CONSORZIO DEL PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA
PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
The Competition Authority has decided to stay proceedings against the Parma Ham Consortium and the San Daniele Ham Consortium which had failed to comply with the resolution of 21 January 1999 prohibiting them from continuing to lay down programmed production plans.
While the Authority considered that the Consortia had failed to comply with this resolution by continuing to implement the programmed production plans to the end of 1999, it nevertheless recognized that they had acted on the understanding that their conduct had been lawful. The lack of subjective evidence of non-compliance would seem to be confirmed by the repeated assurances given by the Consortia that they intended to comply with the Authority's decision. Bearing this in mind, and the fact that as from 1 January 2000 the programmed production plans were no longer in force, the Authority decided not to impose a fine on the Consortia.
It should be noted that the staying of proceedings should in no way be construed as implying that the Authority has revoked its recent order prohibiting the same Consortia from laying down production thresholds for their hams with a protected denomination of origin.
Rome, 11 April 2000