European Dairy crisis: Demonstration during the extraordinary Agriculture Council meeting on Monday, the 7th of September *

Press release of the European Coordination Via Campesina

(Brussels, 31 August 2015) The crisis in the world of dairy farming is a clear sign of the failures of the current dairy policy. If policy makers want to maintain the many breeders and ensure a diverse and sustainable milk production that benefits consumers, a cultural revolution must take place.

We do not limit our demands to emergency measures such as postponing banking maturities, implementing an umpteenth support plan for export, providing additional funds for the promotion of dairy products or even greater spreading of penalties for exceeding quotas .

With public regulation of the dairy market we expect to return upon this Council of Ministers, we demand sustainable solutions based on a dynamic management of European production for:

• Sustained prices above production costs;

• Intra-European competition neutralized;

• Disconnection of dairy product prices for the domestic market from those for the world market (only 10% of European production);

• A fairer distribution of milk production, protecting the most disadvantaged areas of the EU;

• An immediate end to negotiations on free trade agreements (TTIP, CETA …).

In France, Spain, Belgium, Germany and other countries,… many actions will be taking place or are planned in the coming days so that the politicians may hear the thousands of producers we represent, and will commit to defending a sustainable milk production throughout Europe.

*11.30 in front of the headquarters of the Council of the European Union, Justus Lipsius building, rue de la Loi 175- Brussels

Contacts

Europe :

José Miguel Pacheco, ECVC Coordination Committee +351968721995 (PT – ES)

Geneviève Savigny, ECVC Coordination Committee +33625551687 (FR-EN)

Isabel Vilalba, +34 608905444 SLG (ES)

Spain :

Andoni Garcia , COAG +346 36451569

Isabel Vilalba, SLG +34 608905444 SLG – Galicia

France :

Pierre -Alain Prévost, Confédération paysanne +336 65785490

Laurent Pinatel, spokesperson Confédération paysanne +336 80 58 97 22

Germany:

Ulrich Jasper, AbL +4923819053 171

Ottmar Ilchmann, AbL +4917645000760

Belgium Philippe Duvivier, FUGEA President+32491563386

Italy :

Nicola Filippini, ARI +39 3386806211