More than 400 stakeholders representing governmental and non-governmental organizations, the EU institutions, and expert research and economic bodies will attend a conference on Tuesday (September 24) organized by the European Commission on "the EU dairy sector: developing beyond 2015".

The abolition of the milk quota system in 2015 will dramatically change the environment in the EU mild sector, and so, after 30 years of milk quotas, stakeholders are meeting to discuss the post-2015 landscape.

The EU has developed a Milk Package to help those in the sector adjust to the new market-oriented changes. The Package was unveiled in March 2012 and certain aspects have already been implemented into EU regulations.

An external study by six independent experts will be presented at the conference on Tuesday, together with the analysis of stakeholders and one think tank. Attendees will also discuss the issues of market balance and competitiveness, which have both been under scrutiny in the dairy sector, and sustainability.

Conclusions reached during the Commission conference will be presented to the EU Council and European Parliament in November. The Commission must submit a report on the changes to the milk sector to the other two EU legislative bodies by June next year; Commission officials hope to use the event on Tuesday to inform their upcoming report.

More information on the conference is available from the EU Commission