Brussels, 26/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - As anticipated, milk production quotas will be maintained in 2014-2015, as there was no sufficiently large majority within the Agriculture Council in Brussels on Monday 24 March to introduce any flexibility to the mechanism.
Some ten member states (including Germany, Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Estonia and Latvia) asked (under an “any other business” point at the Council) the European Commission to review the fat content coefficient. This request is tantamount to not imposing a super-levy (fines) on producers who exceed their quotas.
However, another ten or so member states (including France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Sweden) opposed this relaxing of the rules, on the grounds that the 2008 agreement should not be called into question. Under these circumstances, the Commission will therefore not propose any adjustment to the quota system, which will be abolished on 1 April 2015. In June, the Commission will present a report on the application of the dairy package, a report which is not expected to be accompanied by any further legislative proposals. (LC)