Luxembourg, 14/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 14 April in Luxembourg, the Council of Ministers of the European Union adopted a regulation amending “Regulation (EC) 1234/2007 establishing a common organisation of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agricultural products (Single CMO Regulation”). This regulation aims to include provisions recently adopted on sugar into the single CMO (greater aid for restructuring in the sugar sector, to speed up the suppression of production quotas), seeds (that amendment discontinues the possibility for Finland to grant national aid for seeds and cereal seed), milk and milk products (various amendments to the public intervention and private storage schemes in respect of butter and skimmed milk powder, repealing the possibility for military forces to buy butter at reduced prices, and setting a flat-rate aid for all categories of milk supplied to pupils in educational establishments), bovine meat (new rules on the marketing of the meat of bovine animals aged 12 months or less) and fruit and vegetables policy reform in the fruit and vegetables and processed fruit and vegetables sector).
The European Parliament gave its opinion on the text on 11 March 2008 and the European Commission proposal at the end of December 2007. (L.C.)