Brussels, 15/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 15 February, the European Commission adopted a proposal aimed at simplifying the Common Market Organisation (CMO) for milk and dairy products. The changes foreseen include, in particular, the introduction of a single rate of aid for the school milk programme.
The proposal also covers: - private storage: removal of storage aid for cream or powdered milk, as such measures are now obsolete; - intervention on butter: suppression of administrative constraints linked to the opening and suspension of procedures for the purchase of intervention butter; - drinking milk: authorisation (as long as this is mentioned on the labelling) of the production and marketing of milk presenting different fat contents from the three current categories (skimmed milk, with more or less 0.5% fat content; semi-skimmed milk from 1.5% to 1.8% fat content; and full fat milk, composed of at least 3.5% fat content); - and the compulsory use of import licence which is to be abandoned, in favour of the more appropriate DG TAXUD monitoring system. This mini-package of technical measures gives authorisation to the European industry to bring the rate of milk protein conserved into line with international norms (namely 34%). At present, it varies between 31 and 37% (giving EU companies a disadvantage compared to third countries). (lc)