Brussels, 31/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - Tension will be strong both inside and outside the building where the Agriculture Council, devoted to the market situation, is to be held in Brussels on 7 September.
Ministers are due to discuss possible additional measures, including raising the intervention price in the dairy sector. Away from the ministers, and “in response to the drastic situation hitting EU livestock, dairy, fruit and vegetable producers”, Copa and Cogeca will hold “a mass demonstration” outside EU agriculture ministers' extraordinary meeting “to underline the unprecedented situation and demand action”.
Demonstrations have been taking place across Europe for months. There is an extremely difficult situation in the EU pigmeat, dairy, fruit and vegetable and beef markets, mainly as a result of the Russian restrictions on the import of European agri-food products, which shot the EU's main export market overnight. Prices are below production costs in many countries, forcing some out of business. Copa and Cogeca welcome the action taken so far by the European Commission (prolonging of aid in the dairy and fruit and vegetables sectors, see EUROPE 11370) to help alleviate the situation but it is nowhere enough to compensate producers for their losses.
Several EU member states and the agricultural organisations are calling for an increase in the dairy sector intervention price. Some liberal countries, such as the United Kingdom and Sweden, oppose such a move, however.
French agriculture minister Stéphane Le Foll gave assurances on Thursday that the call by his government to buy French products, particularly meat and milk, to support farmers in these difficult times “is in line with European rules”. “I have never been one to call for a ban on imports”, he added. Promoting French meat by means of the “Viande de France” logo seeks to boost French production without being at odds with free trade within the European Union, Le Foll said. Following last week's announcement of an emergency plan to support French farming, German dairy producers wrote to the European Commission to complain about the national preference given to French milk. In the meantime, France is giving consideration to a raft of proposals so that definite measures to assist the dairy, beef and pig meat sectors can be agreed on the 7 September Council, Le Foll said. The minister hopes to be able to convince a majority of countries to support the measures. “I think we're coming close”, he suggested. (Lionel Changeur)