On 9^th March, the ICOS Dairy Committee Chairman, Jerry Long attended a critical meeting in Brussels organised by Copa-Cogeca. At the meeting, the EU farm and co-operative lobby group discussed in detail the implementation of Article 222.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Long expressed deep concern at the length and duration of the current crisis affecting dairy farmers. He noted that fundamentally the crisis is cyclical and that markets will rebound in time. Mr Long reiterated the position of ICOS that reverting to supply management measures would be a backward step, noting that European countries had lost significant market share on global markets for long enough during the quota era. ICOS were supported at the meeting by representatives from Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK. Arguments in favour of Article 222 were led by Austria and France.

Concluding the meeting, the Chairman, Mansel Raymond stated that Copa-Cogeca would continue to argue for a resolution to the Russian trade embargo, greater transparency in the food chain, greater use of EIB funds to put capital into the industry, better promotion and market openings for EU dairy products and a temporary increase in the intervention price with an increase in the quantity of volumes permitted under intervention. There was no consensus at the meeting concerning the use of Article 222.

By Eamonn Farrell

ICOS Agri & Food Policy Executive