Memo: Commissioner Dacian Cioloş welcomes informal agreement by Council and Parliament on new rules for the milk sector

The regulation grants Member States the possibility to make written contracts between farmers and processors compulsory and to oblige purchasers of milk to offer farmers a minimum contract duration. These contracts should be made in advance of delivery and contain specific elements such as the price, volume, duration, details concerning payment, collection and rules for force majeure. All these elements should be freely negotiated between the parties and farmers may refuse an offer of a minimum duration in a contract. Deliveries by a farmer-member to its cooperative are exempted from this contract obligation if the statutes or rules of the coop contain provisions that have similar effects as the prescribed contract.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background Information: Press Release: European Commission proposes new measures to improve future stability in the dairy sector http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-european-commission-proposes-new-measures-to-improve-future-stability-in-the-dairy-sector/

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