The Government of the Azores managed to get the approval of a series of amendment proposals to the report on the "The future of the dairy sector" by the Commission for Natural Resources of the Committee of the Regions. This measure safeguards the Azorean specificities in the face of the end of the milk quotas, starting on April 1.

After the meeting held by this Commission in Brussels, the Regional Under Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations, Rodrigo Oliveira, conveyed his satisfaction with the fact that the negotiations with the members of the Committee, especially with French rapporteur René Souchon, enabled to raise awareness for the specific situation of the Azores. It also ensured, contrary to the voting initially intended, to embody the explicit references to the reality of the Azores in the document approved today.

The approved amendments to the report that were submitted by the Azorean Government acknowledge the need for "additional support to the POSEI programme. It will compensate milk producers for the impact caused by the deregulation of markets and ensure the same levels of competitiveness regarding producers in the remaining European space." Furthermore, the report recognises "the existence of additional production and processing costs in Outermost Region."

As proposed by the Azores, the report also points out "the lack of European-based studies that specifically focus on the regions where milk production, in addition to its crucial role in employment creation and maintenance, acts as a strategic lever in other sectors, especially the tourism sector."

The report issued by the Commission for Natural Resources, approved today in Brussels, will be submitted to the plenary session of the Committee of the Regions. It also mentions the volatility and massive disruption in the dairy sector arising from the end of the milk quota system and, as proposed by the Azores, alerts for the consequences that will be particularly felt in Outermost Regions, with greater constraints and fewer possibilities to create economies of scale.

The Commission for Natural Resources is one of the six commissions of the Committee of the Regions. It is responsible for coordinating the work developed by this body in areas such as rural development, fisheries, food production, maritime policy, public health, consumer protection, forests, civil protection and tourism.

The Committee of the Regions, which entered into office in February, is a consultative body of European institutions that represents EU regional and local bodies. Currently, it comprises 353 members from 28 Member States.

The Autonomous Region of the Azores holds a seat in the Committee of the Regions since its inception. In the current term of office, the Azores are represented by President of the Government, Vasco Cordeiro, and by the Regional Under Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations, Rodrigo Oliveira, as alternate member.