Dairy farmers have protested depressed milk prices by spraying a tonne of milk powder onto the European Council building in Brussels.
The farmers said a planned sale of milk powder stocks would depress prices in Europe and abroad.
The European Union has bought large quantities of skimmed milk powder to stabilize the market but said in November it would start disposing of some of it after prices had improved.
Protesters used farm machinery to cover the building and nearby police officers in a thick coat of the sticky, white powder.
The European Commission said only a small amount of the total milk powder stock of 354,000 tonnes was for sale and sales would be made without affecting prices or market stability.
The EU Commissioner for agriculture Phil Hogan said yesterday (23 January) he had difficulty understanding why dairy farmers were protesting in Brussels, given the recovery of milk prices in the last six months.
Hogan spoke at a press conference following the first EU Council ministerial of the year, with agriculture ministers from the EU's national governments.
“It's difficult to understand the basis for which protests have been organised outside the council today,” said Hogan.
The market situation of dairy farmers has become “a regular feature” on the agenda of the agriculture ministerial in the past 18 months, he noted.
