Brussels, 21/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - Members of the European Milk Board (EMB), very concerned at the ending of milk quotas in April 2015, are proposing that a “market responsibility programme” be put in place to regulate the market in times of crisis and say that they are ready to demonstrate in the streets to make their position understood.
“The market is saturated. Prices are falling, collapsing”, said EMB President Romuald Schaber of Germany at a press conference in France on Thursday 20 November. The EMB has 100,000 members in 14 European countries.
The Europe-wide market responsibility programme suggested by the EMB reposes on a European milk market monitoring agency, able quickly to sound the alarm in the event of crises. At such times, production volumes will be temporarily defined and adjusted to the market. If a producer nevertheless increases production, he/she will face penalties, but if he/she reduces production, a bonus will be awarded, said Schaber, and this could apply for periods of up to six months.
“It's a crisis management system, not a quota system”, assured Paul de Montvalon, the French member of the EMB Board. The Board members spoke of milk prices being in free-fall in their respective countries - aggravated by the Russian ban on the import of EU agricultural products. The ending of milk quotas scheduled for 1 April 2015 will pave the way for liberalisation with no controls on volumes produced. De Montvalon says it is absolutely essential to regulate production. Producers hope that their proposal will meet with the European Commission's favour. If it does not, “we'll have to return to demonstrations. We are not going to allow ourselves to be pushed around”, warned the Belgian member of the Board, Erwin Schopges. “We've already planned the series of demonstrations”, the first of which will be in Brussels on 11 December “and we'll gradually ratchet up the pressure”.
“We are dangerously close to the crisis scenarios of 2009 and 2012. The present market situation will drive the farmers out into the streets again”, Schaber made clear. (LC)