Crisis in the dairy sector

14.3.2016

Question for written answer P-002140-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Esther Herranz García (PPE)

In view of the serious crisis the dairy sector has been experiencing in recent months, following the abolition of the quota system in April 2015, which led to a significant drop in milk prices, and which has been exacerbated by the commercial practices pursued by the dairy industry in respect of producers, Russia's import ban and the fall in exports to emerging markets such as China, and bearing in mind the new Article 222 of the CMO rules that came into force following the reform of the CAP, which in times of agricultural crises would allow producer organisations and associations and cross-industry organisations to enter into agreements to offset falls in prices, does the Commission plan to introduce any measures to alleviate the serious crisis that the industry is currently experiencing?

Has the Commission appraised the option of applying Article 222 in order to prevent dairy producers' income falling still further and hence to give the industry some breathing space?