(Brussels, 6 June 2013): Last week there were reports, primarily in the German-language media, about the EU Commissioner for Agriculture Dacian Ciolos having stated that he was in principle against regulation of the EU milk market and the voluntary production suspension proposed by the European Parliament. However, when questioned about this by the European Milk Board (EMB) he emphatically denied it.

On the fringe of an informal gathering of the European Ministers of Agriculture in Dublin, the EU Commissioner merely pointed out that there were still unanswered questions about the voluntary delivery suspension instrument, especially regarding the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the 5-percent clause. This, he said, was no blanket rejection of the voluntary delivery suspension as an anti-crisis instrument in the milk market, but a contribution to the indispensable discussion on how such an instrument would take shape in practice. The issue of crisis prevention and crisis management in the dairy sector, said Dacian Ciolos, was too important to run the risk of bringing in an inefficient measure. What was needed was a realistic, effective solution.

It was on this subject that Erwin Schöpges, Member of the EMB Board, declared at the big demonstration of dairy farmers in Berlin at the beginning of the week: “It is incredible to what extent sound remarks made by politicians these days are distorted by the media at the instigation of the agro-industry. We should not tolerate this and must take every opportunity to correct such blatantly falsely reported statements.”

Contacts:

EMB President Romuald Schaber (DE): 0049 1603524703

EMB Board Member Erwin Schöpges (DE, FR): 0032 497904547

EMB Press Officer Christian Schnier (DE, EN, FR): 0032 28081935