EDA president, Michel Nalet, has sent a letter to SCA chair Nikša Tkalec, and the members of the SCA, noting that, for the past two weeks, the EDA has regularly updated and alerted the competent services of the EU Commission at all levels on the Covid-19 induced developments on the European and international dairy markets.
Nalet pointed to the letter sent on March 17, 2020, urging the European Commission to show the support of Europe for the dairy sector in activating the Private Storage Aid (part II of Regulation (EU) 1308/2013) scheme for powder, butter and (all types of) cheeses (and frozen curd).
Prior to the videoconference meeting of the European Ministers of Agriculture on March 25, 2020, the EDA also called upon the Ministers of Agriculture to flag up the dairy situation and to ask for support measures for the European lactosphère.
However, Nalet said, there are national support schemes developing and already in place, that have – by definition – a limited impact.
The EDA says in its letter to the SCA that the European dairy industry is making every effort to live up to its societal responsibility and to assure the collection, processing and distribution of milk and dairy across the European Union under extraordinary circumstances.
“To guarantee the sustainable future of our essential and vital sector for Europe, for its citizens and for its economy, we ask for your immediate support in urging the EU Commission to activate the PSA scheme. We know, we can count on you,” the letter concludes.