Hamm, 1 June 2010:
No ray of hope for the milk market. Although the European Commission set up the High Level Group of Experts on Milk (HLGM) to come up with mechanisms to overcome the milk market crisis, the future of the milk market looks anything but rosy. By handing out thousands of litres of milk to consumers in European cities, with symbolic demonstrations outside political institutions and by throwing away small quantities of milk, the dairy farmers of Europe are turning to the general public with this message: the proposals put forward by the EU politicians are unlikely to secure sustainable milk production in every European region. It is an appeal to the politicians to apply effective instruments. Adapting the volume on the milk market flexibly to demand would be a major ray of hope.
Campaigns of action in Europe:
Italy: 5,000 litres of milk being handed out to consumers in Milan. Contact: APL/ Roberto Cavaliere (IT, FR): 0039/335 635 6361, sara@aplpianurapadana.it
Germany: “Boat Demo” outside the Ministry of Agriculture in Berlin – with milk producers from all 16 federal states; contact: BDM/ Hans Foldenauer (DE): 0049/ 1705638056
France: placards put up along French roads and press talks, contacts : OPL/ Nicolas Coudray (FR) : 0033/684921762 ; APLI/ Pascal Massol (FR) : 0033/670517303
The Netherlands: Visit of primary school in Hilversum, explaining about milk, contact: DDB/ Sieta van Keimpema (NL, EN, DE) : 0031/612168000 ; NMV/ Hans Geurts (NL ; DE ; EN) : 0031/640345850
Austria: tasting of fair milk “A faire Milch”, contact: IG–Milch/ Ewald Grünzweil (DE): 0041/664 2023869; Helm Marianne (DE) : 0043/ 676 5855931
Switzerland: symbolic dumping of milk and milk tasting for consumers, contact: Uniterre/ Rudi Berli: (DE, FR): 0041/787 077 883
Denmark: placards put up along Danish roads, contact: LDM/ Kjartan Poulson (DA, EN, DE): 0045/21288899
Ireland: in the run-up to World Milk Day on 31 May: meeting with the General Secretary of the Irish Government, ICMSA/ Cathal MacCarthy (EN) : 00353/61314677
Spain: press conference in Madrid, contact: PROLEC (ES) : 0034/ 68 5990460
