After many months of constantly falling farm-gate prices of milk and dairy products, EU producers require urgent help. This is why the European Parliament today called on the Commission to come up with a plan to tackle the negative consequences of the end of milk quotas, which expired on 31 March, and the damaging Russian embargo on EU imports.
S&D spokesperson on agriculture, Paolo de Castro said:
"Parliament is extremely worried about the dramatic decrease in milk and dairy product prices, as well as the long-standing and persistent volatility which is directly and dramatically affecting this sector. This is why we call on the Commission to put in place measures to better manage crises like the one being experienced now.
"The Milk Package approved during the last parliamentary term has proved largely incapable of creating the conditions for the soft landing we were expecting."
S&D shadow rapporteur, Ricardo Serrão Santos added:
"Europe's dairy producers have been suffering falling prices for well over a year and farmers in the most remote and disadvantaged areas are the ones most at risk in this increasingly market-oriented domain. The European Parliament has recognised the need to maintain production in these regions and for a specific approach on behalf of territorial cohesion.
"The Parliament also demands measures to allow for supply management and to prevent new crises. Moreover, unfair trading practices and competition law must also be tackled in order to defend prices paid to milk producers along the supply chain."
