The latest EU figures show five member states exceeded their dairy quotas, incurring a super-levy on their excess produce of around €55.57m (£48.7m), for the 2010/2011 year. image expired

Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Cyprus and Luxembourg surpassed their quotas by a total of around 200,000 tonnes, with the Netherlands alone accounting for 140,000 tonnes of the overrun. Denmark and the Netherlands exceeded both quotas for deliveries to dairies and direct sales quotas, whereas the other overproducing states exceeded only their quota for deliveries.

However, despite the overrun of the five states, across the EU production was an average of 5.5 per cent below quota volume. 14 of the 27 member states recorded deliveries of 10 per cent below their quota.

Germany, France and the UK were to top three producers, contributing 28.9 million tonnes, 23.8mt and 13.7mt respectively to the EU total of 146mt. Nevertheless, milk production for 2011/2012 is expected to increase to 151mt across the bloc, according to European Commission estimates.

Commenting on the levies for the five states which overran, Commissioner for agriculture and rural development Dacian Cioloș said, "Even though the decision to end the quota regime in 2015 was taken in 2008, member states must still apply the rules."