Helping European milk farmers

Subject to approval by ECOFIN Ministers, 280 million euro should be allocated to the milk sector in 2010 following a Council meeting on 19 October. This was part of a package of emergency measures adopted by the EU's Agricultural ministers to stabilise the situation on the milk market and come to the assistance of dairy farmers.

© European Communities

Other measures in the package cover the extension of the intervention period for butter and skimmed milk powder, the possibility to allow a quicker response to future market disturbances, when prices raise or fall, and some temporary changes in the operation of quota buying-up schemes to allow Member States to improve the restructuring of the dairy sector on a national basis.

More information:
Council Press release (pdf) 
Council webcast of press conference