EU proposals for the dairy industry

The Committee will consider in particular:

• Legislative proposals that would provide for written contracts between milk producers and processors, and measures for enhancing transparency in the market. The proposals are intended to boost the position of the producer in the dairy supply chain and prepare the sector for a more market oriented and sustainable future; and
• A report on the dairy market and the conditions for smoothly phasing out the milk quota system. The Commission wishes to end production quotas in 2015 because most countries’ output is well below the levels mandated by the limits. The report also includes proposals to help ensure a ’soft landing’ when quotas end.

The Committee invites all interested parties to address these matters in writing by Wednesday 2 March 2011. A programme of oral evidence will be announced in due course.
More information about the required format of submissions is given below:

NOTES ON THE SUBMISSION OF EVIDENCE

Submissions should be in Word or rich text format and sent by e-mail to efracom@parliament.uk The body of the e-mail must include a contact name, telephone number and postal address. The e-mail should also make clear who the submission is from.

Submissions must address the terms of reference. They should be as brief as possible, and no more than 1,000 words. Paragraphs should be numbered for ease of reference, and the document must include a summary (no more than one page long). Committees make public much of the evidence they receive during inquiries. If you do not wish your submission to be published, you must clearly say so. If you wish to include private or confidential information in your submission to the Committee, please contact the Clerk of the Committee to discuss this. Please bear in mind that Committees are not able to investigate individual cases.

Personal information, such as address and contact details, should be provided separately from the body of your submission. You should be aware that there may be circumstances in which the House of Commons will be required to communicate information to third parties on request, in order to comply with its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Submissions should be original work, not previously published or circulated elsewhere. Once submitted, no public use should be made of the submission unless you have first obtained permission from the Committee.

For further details about this inquiry, please contact Richard Cooke, Clerk of the Committee, on 020 7219 3263. Information about the Committee can be found at: http://www.parliament.uk/efracom