Brussels, 23/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - The Dutch Presidency of the Council said at the meeting of the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) on Monday 21 March that it would ask the Commission to provide an update of the market situation at each SCA and Council meeting. At the Agriculture Council of 27-28 June, time will be devoted to allow ministers to assess whether further measures are needed.
The Commission told the CSA delegations that it would shortly publish a paper on state aid (the Commission is proposing to authorise aid of up to €15,000 per farm per year).
An initial meeting took place last week to discuss voluntary supply management (voluntarily reducing milk production). Since 12% of EU milk production is handled by producer organisations and 65% by other forms of cooperation, such as inter-branch organisations, in total 85% of EU milk production could be covered by this measure. The Commission hopes it will come into force (by means of a delegated act) by mid-April.
Timing is important on private storage of pigmeat: the seasonal upswing must not be destroyed, the Commission said. It also highlighted a 0.5% rise in prices last week and believes that the upward trend will continue. It is not possible at this stage, therefore, to commit to a date for the start of private storage aid.
The Commission will make a proposal on doubling intervention ceiling (for powdered milk and butter) for the Agriculture Council in mid-April. The current powdered milk ceiling of 109,000 tonnes will soon be reached; thereafter tenders will be sought. The Commission will do its best to avoid any price falls due to tendering. It is hoped that the meat market observatory (pork and beef) will be operational by summer. A call for applications will be made to find the experts who will form the observatory. A feasibility study on the export credits mechanism will be published in May. The Commission will draw on expertise of member states' agencies (currently 14 member states use an export credits system).
With regard to voluntary supply management, several countries suggested at the CSA meeting that the EU budget should be used to provide financial incentives. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)