New “concrete ideas” on EU market support measures for Europe’s struggling pigmeat and dairy sectors are to be gathered by the European Commission over the next 10 days and collated for discussion at the next Council of Farm Ministers’ meeting on March 14.
This was the agreed action to emerge from yesterday’s farm council session in Brussels, with all agriculture ministers being asked to submit their own ideas for new solutions by February 25.
Farm Commissioner, Phil Hogan, speaking after the meeting, said that he was certainly not happy with the present state of either sector and that he would retain an open mind on all future support measures.
He then warned, however, that any future solutions would need to be “consistent with the EC’s legal framework” and would need to be achievable within the capacity of the EC’s existing budget.
Mr Hogan (pictured above) also said that any future solutions would need to carry full farm council support, adding that, within such context, he would intensify his efforts to find solutions.
The Commissioner also commented that he had held positive talks with the French farm minister, Stéphane Le Foll, concerning the pigmeat and dairy crisis and that he would be visiting Paris on February 25 for further discussions with M. Le Foll and the French prime minister, Manuel Valls.
