Brussels, 13/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission states that it is still too soon to present legislative proposals on the milk and dairy sector, in a report published on Friday 13 June, which takes stock of the implementation of the 2012 milk package.
“The current outlook for world dairy markets remains largely positive. However, there are still doubts on the capacity of the EU regulatory framework to deal with episodes of extreme market volatility or with a crisis situation after the expiry of the quota regime, especially with a view to ensuring the balanced development of milk production across the European Union and avoiding extreme concentration in the most productive areas”, states the report, which contains no legislative proposals.
The report contains a section on the effects of the milk package in the least-favoured regions, but it is too early to draw any conclusions, the experts say. The report shows that the volumes of milk production in the least-favoured regions are down in Estonia, Greece and Poland, and up in Germany, Ireland, Latvia and Austria. Spain registered a significant production increase, in particular in regions with low population (representing almost 40% of the national deliveries). The member states did not report a significant effect of the milk package on the milk sector in disadvantaged regions, “notably because the provisions have been implemented only recently and the period of actual application was too short”, the Commission explains.
In all other respects, the report is highly factual: - contracts between farmers and processors have been made compulsory in 12 member states (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Spain, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia); - in some others (Belgium, the United Kingdom), codes of practice have been agreed between farmers and processing organisations; - national provisions for recognition of Producer Organisations (POs) have resulted in 228 formally recognised POs in six member states (Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy and the Czech Republic); - in four of those member states (Germany, Spain, France and the Czech Republic), POs have conducted collective negotiations covering between 4 and 33% of total deliveries; - two member states (France and Italy) have applied rules for regulating the supply of certain PDO/PGI cheeses. (LC)