This is the first of a series of high profile meetings for the dairy sector which will continue with a UK wide meeting in Bristol next week.
Last week the EU Management Committee voted through the €300 million Emergency Milk Fund, called for earlier this year by MEPs and the Franco/German pact of 21 member states (which did not include the UK). The fund will give payments to farmers based on their 2008/09 milk production (not exceeding quota) and are intended to be distributed in a "non-discriminatory and non-distortive" way.
The fund is intended to target individual farmers who have been severely affected by the very low dairy price this summer and farmers who are experiencing cash flow problems. Distribution will be at member state discretion. Defra will submit details of their plans for the fund to DG Agriculture by the end of February 2010. The UK allocation is due to be 9.75% of the total fund or €29.26 million.
The UFU discussed with members the need to draw down Northern Ireland's portion of the 300 million Euro EU assistance package for the dairy sector and is lobbying political representatives to secure this funding.
Meat and heat
The UK NFUs asked EU policy makers to avoid simplified solutions and distortion of the climate change debate ahead of the "Meat Free Monday" event at the European Parliament. Meat Free Monday patron Paul McCartney was in Brussels, calling for MEPs to "adjust your policies" to encourage less meat consumption.
The UFU and UK Farming Unions have been countering this, highlighting the positive contributions of agriculture to environmental protection. There were also pro-farming interventions and press releases from a number of other MEPs in response to the debate. The European Parliament will now look to adopt a non-legislative Resolution on the issue.
Food labelling amendments submitted to MEPs
The UK NFUs continued to campaign for mandatory country of origin labelling this week by submitting suggested amendments to the food labelling regulation to MEPs. Several MEPs have voiced strong support for the campaign and have highlighted their willingness to submit our proposed amendments.