Press Release: Milk: First meeting of High Level Group looks at contractual relations and bargaining power in the dairy sector

The High Level Experts' Group on Milk met for the first time in Brussels on 13 October 2009, holding constructive discussions on contractual relations and bargaining power in the dairy market. The HLG was established by the European Commission to look into the medium and long-term future of the dairy sector, particularly in view of the phase-out of milk quotas, which will be concluded in April 2015. Its work runs in parallel to the measures the Commission is introducing to stabilise the dairy market in the short term. The HLG is chaired by Jean-Luc Demarty, the Commission's Director-General for Agriculture and Rural Development and Member States are represented by senior officials. Further meetings are scheduled to take place once a month, and the HLG will issue its final report by the end of June 2010.