Copa and Cogeca welcomed a vote in the EU management committee on the Commissions’ initiative to help dairy producers cope with the excessive burden of the milk superlevy bill, but called for additional measures to be introduced.
Chairman of Copa-Cogeca milk working party Mansel Raymond said “Hit by low prices, soaring input costs and a poor turnover, milk producers are facing severe economic difficulties, putting their cash flow at risk. Many producers – in around 13 member states – are also likely to pay a big milk superlevy bill this year. I therefore welcome the vote today in the EU management committee on the EU Commission proposal to help reduce the pressure by letting farmers pay the super levy bill over a longer period of time”.
“But additional action is crucial”, Copa-Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen insisted. “The super-levy is expected to be big this year which means that a lot of money would leave the sector. This is totally unacceptable. The dairy sector helps to boost growth, with EU dairy exports worth around 7 billion . It would be a pity to see investments by the sector being stopped because of an administrative problem especially at a time when indicators show that market prospects are good in the medium term and this is the best moment to invest.”
