The European Commission has released a long-awaited report from an expert panel on fixing Europe’s troubled dairy sector. 

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

An EU ‘high level group on milk’ has proposed boosting the power of dairy producers in the EU market, reducing their vulnerability if prices fall suddenly. 

Last year, EU dairy farmers protested often violently against lost income, forcing the Commission to release emergency subsidies.

The group’s report recommends that milk producers and processors work together through formal contracts in future, covering prices and delivery volumes; it suggests these could become mandatory through EU or national laws.

It also proposes EU rules insisting dairy producers have the right to negotiate contracts through producer organisations. 

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

The report also wants the Commission to examine legalising ‘place of farming’ origin labelling for dairy products.

EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos promised legislative proposals by the end of the year. 

He welcomed the report, adding: “My main aim is that we consider medium- to long-term measures which address…last year’s crisis.”

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact