After an open and constructive dialogue, it was agreed that all partners in the dairy supply chain must be given confidence to invest in the dairy sector of tomorrow. Commissioner Ciolo? and the EDA gave presentations on important issues facing the dairy sector.
The substance of the Commission’s package for the dairy sector is that, clearly, the marketing structures in some parts of the European Union need to be reinforced to give greater confidence and security to farmers to invest. Producer organisations and contracts are a route to achieve this. The challenge, however, is not to undermine the highly developed marketing structures that already exist in other parts of Europe.
The European dairy industry doesn’t want an outcome that undermines the existing co-op model, stable contractual relationships or that deters investment by processors, whether private dairies or co-op. All these elements are vital to the future prosperity of the dairy industry.
The EDA is looking forward to working together with Commissioner Ciolo? and his cabinet to achieve that outcome. The leaked proposals from the Commission need further work in order to achieve that balance.
Speaking after the meeting, EDA president Werner Buck said: “We fundamentally share the Commissioner’s desire to give confidence to the dairy industry to prepare for the future without quotas. The industry faces the challenge of becoming progressively more competitive in an increasingly globalised marketplace in which exports will be essential to give opportunities for producers to expand.”
The EDA is confident in the knowledge that both the dairy industry and the European Commission fundamentally share the same vision of the need to give confidence to all in the supply chain to deliver a prosperous and competitive dairy industry for tomorrow.
Source: European Dairy Association
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