Thursday, September 24, 2009

EU Agriculture Ministers To Discuss Supports For Dairy Market

Junior Agriculture Minister and Fianna Fail T.D. for Clare, Tony Killeen has welcomed the decision of the European Union’s Agriculture Ministers to meet on October 5th next to discuss the introduction of additional measures to support and stimulate the dairy sector.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Minister of State Killeen reiterated his call on the EU Commission to increase the level and scope of export refunds and to continue to apply all available market support measures. He said: “I recognise that the Commission has been quick to deploy aid to private storage, intervention and export refunds to support the sector to date. However, the fact is that these measures, while stabilising the market, have proved insufficient to lift the market, and we now need to act on the proposals from a large and growing number of Member States.”

“Ireland, for its part, recently joined a number of other nations in pledging support to a set of detailed proposals to support the sector”, added the Clare Deputy.