Brussels, 11/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - The EU cereals management committee voted on Thursday in favour of a Commission proposal authorising the opening of adjudication for intervention wheat exports from intervention stocks in Central Europe: Hungary (320,000 tonnes), Czech Republic (300,000 tonnes), Poland (93.084 tonnes) and Austria (80.663 tonnes). Also, the management committee has favoured exports of 500,693 tonnes of barley from German intervention stocks. The first load is scheduled for 31 March and the last 23 June.
The Commission had announced these measures during the Agriculture Council of 28 February, recognising the difficulties of the landlocked EU countries (EUROPE of 2 March, p.9). To date, it states, the quantities of intervention cereals are 10.5 million, bringing intervention stocks up to 13.5 million tonnes, 60% of which concern the new Member States.