Oporto, 17/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - In response to the current shortage of some raw materials, on Monday 17 September, several EU Agriculture Ministers called for a temporary rise in milk production quotas. Agriculture and Rural Affairs Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel is not against such a measure.
Visiting the Douro Valley with her EU counterparts, Dutch Agriculture Minister Gerda Verburg told a group of journalists that the Netherlands would request a 2-3% increase in European milk production quotas, to be applied from the next marketing year, which begins in April 2008. This measure would allow a response to part of the problem of the shortage of milk on the European and world markets. The Netherlands is backed in its request by Poland, Italy and Spain, countries known to be in favour of an end to quotas. French Minister Michel Barnier said that he was not against this request to produce more, adding, however, that he would have to assess the consequences of such an increase in quotas with the French sector. He pointed out the importance of the role of milk quotas in France, often linked, as they were, to fragile areas. Of those questioned, the Luxemburg minister was the most cautious. Fernand Boden indicated his preference for a reduction in penalties to be paid by producers who overshoot their reference quantity. He also suggested juggling with the fat content of the milk to reduce penalties.
Fischer Boel said she was not stubborn: if there was strong demand for an increase because of high prices, she was ready to discuss.
Still on the high prices of some raw materials, EU Agriculture Ministers said they would, by 26 September (following closely on the European Parliament's favourable opinion) be in a position to adopt the regulation setting the compulsory set-aside of land at zero in 2008.
Agreement on the health check under French presidency
Fischer Boel gave some details on the timetable for finalising the debate on the health check of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP): a communication on 20 November, followed by Council conclusions in spring 2008; formal (legislative) proposals in May 2008 ahead of a political agreement by European ministers during the French presidency of the Council of Ministers of the EU.
On the sidelines of the informal meeting in Oporto, Michel Barnier confirmed that, in parallel with discussions on the health check (which is expected to bring “limited adjustments” to the policies), France will, in 2008, initiate a period of “wider” reflection on the new post-2013 CAP. Barnier stressed the importance of having the debate on agriculture before the debate on the review of the EU budget in 2009. (lc)