With many farming protests continuing throughout Europe, the European Milk Board (EMB) handed over a list of demands to the EU Commission following its press conference in Brussels this week.
The EMB president Kjartan Poulsen said that the “deep-rooted causes” cannot be addressed with “minor, cosmetic fixes”.
EMB is calling for “cost covering producer prices” to be achieved through the market by these demands:
- The active implementation of crisis instruments from the common market organisation (CMO);
- Specific EU contract clauses on volumes and cost-covering prices prior to milk deliveries;
- An EU-wide regulation that makes cost-covering prices obligatory;
- Strict mirror clauses for imports and reliable compliance monitoring;
- Measures to intensify producer pooling to effectively reduce the power imbalance on the market.
The EMB added that such a market framework is “necessary” within the context of the Green Deal, to ensure stable prices on the market and to allow farmers to meet environmental requirements.
At the press conference, Poulsen said: “This pressure can only be relieved through fundamental, lasting reforms to the agricultural system”.
Protests
Farmers in Germany have been protesting for weeks in response to plans by the government to fill a gap in public finances through a number of measures, which include ending tax reliefs for farmers on agricultural diesel and vehicle tax for machinery.
On January 30, a national mobilisation will take place throughout Italy, according to the EMB.
Italian producers want to reach a reform of the Green Deal as well as an end of dumping practices on foodstuffs.
French farming protests will continue today (Thursday, January 25) with what they have announced to be a “day of action”.
French farmers are blocking roads, including highways and dumping produce in protest.
President of the French organisation Coordination Rurale (CR), Véronique Le Floc’h said: “Europe with such poor prospects in the agricultural sector is being rejected.
“Carrying on with an ultraliberal policy, in which free trade agreements and foodstuffs imports that do not meet our standards are proliferating, poses a real threat to farmers.”
Several hundred farmers in Lithuania will also be heading to the capital Vilnius, with their tractors this week, according to the EMB.
They are demanding effective solutions to the current milk crisis from political representatives.