Schmal speaks of need for ‘guard rails’ for EU dairy

Karsten Schmal, the president of the German Farmers’Association (DBV), has been in talks with members of the European Parliament about keeping up EU ‘guard rails’ for European dairy. One of the main reasons for this is the forthcoming positioning of the European Parliament on the so-called Omnibus Regulation (economic measures to support the agricultural sector). In addition to proposals for the reduction of bureaucracy in the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), proposals for new state regulations in the common market are being discussed in the Parliament.
Schmal emphasised after the discussion with the MEPs, “We have discussed with the European Commission the still existing needs of state guard rails for dairy farming. The past few months have clearly shown that the growing market opening remains a major challenge for the industry. After this, we were in broad agreement with the deputies that a fair and appropriate market-oriented coordination and planning of production volumes should be carried out by dairies with their dairy farmers”.
New state-regulated institutions are, according to the DBV, unsuited for this.
The DBV supports proposals to cut red tape in the Omnibus Regulation. In particular, the deletion of evidence for the so-called “active farmer” would greatly facilitate the application for direct agricultural payments for farmers as well as for administrations.

Photo caption: DBV’s milk president Karsten Schmal (6th from the left) and deputy DBV Secretary-General Udo Hemmerling (4th from the left) together with members of the European Parliament