European farmers expecting EU to stabilize dairy market

European Union leaders called on the European Commission to study how to stabilise the dairy market, and put a halt to falling prices of import dairy products in Europe.

Austria, Germany and France say their producers are badly hit by the weaker market and want firm action to bolster farmer incomes. They have tabled a series of requests, mostly involving increases in EU aid to the dairy sector. France complained that  EU cheese exports fell 10 percent in the first quarter and butter exports by 3 percent. It called for cheese export subsidies to be raised "significantly."