The View from Europe: According to a statement made in Brussels recently by the European Commissioner for Agriculture Dacian Ciolos during the major conference on the future of the EU milk market after 2015, the European Commission is planning to set up a monitoring agency for the milk market.

This is according to the latest newsletter from the European Milk Board out this week. It said on a monthly or quarterly basis, the board will report on the development of milk production and consumption, thus softening the impact of increasing price volatility in the milk market after 2015.

“It could therefore operate as an early warning mechanism for severe imbalances in the market. The commissioner said thought still had to be given to the precise structure and configuration of the monitoring agency,” it said.

The European Milk Board regards the European Commission’s plan to set up the market monitoring agency as a first step in the right direction.

“Transparency in the market is absolutely essential to being able to react flexibly and promptly to imbalances in the market. However, what is still imperative is for the agency to have the power to actively control supply in the milk market. Only then can the negative consequences of severe price volatility for producers and consumers be combated effectively,” it added.

The EMB newsletter is available here.

The European Milk Board is an umbrella organisation of dairy farmer associations and farmers’ lobbies. Organisations from 14 countries currently belong to the EMB. Numerous co-operation arrangements are also in place with other countries in Europe. The ICMSA in Ireland is a member.