Bulgaria wants support for milk producers hit by Russian ban on imports from EU
Bulgaria is to insist that measures be taken at European level to provide support to all producers of milk and dairy products in the European Union hit by the Russian ban on imports of these products from the EU.
This was decided at a Bulgarian cabinet meeting on January 21, according to a statement by the government media office.
Bulgaria will put its position at a meeting of the EU council on agriculture and fisheries on January 26, the statement said.
At the council meeting, the European Commission will present information regarding the Russian ban on imports of agricultural products from the EU.
Farmers in Bulgaria are suffering losses because of Russia’s ban on imports, with milk and dairy products and the fruit and vegetable sectors the hardest-hit, the government statement said.
The contraction of the market was affecting the purchase price of milk. For Bulgaria, it was especially important for action to be taken at EU level to provide support to all producers in the bloc, the statement said.
Bulgaria wanted the European Commission to prepare a further analysis of the current situation, as a basis for deciding on further stabilisation measures.
Bulgaria supported the introduction of export refunds for cheeses, including Bulgarian feta cheese. The country also supported enabling EU member states to apply temporary state aid for milk producers to avoid mass bankruptcies and loss of livelihood in the region.
The country also favoured an extension of the mechanism approved by the European Commission in 2014 to assist fruit and vegetable producers, the statement said.
(Photo: Ukko.de)
