The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Elisabeth JEGGLE (EPP-ED, Germany) and made some amendments to the Commission's proposal. (Please see the summary of 20/05/03). Parliament specified that the increases in reference quantities provided for as of the 2005/2006 marketing year would come into effect only if the situation of the milk and milk-products market were favourable. The level of public stocks of butter and skimmed-milk powder must not exceed a limit to be determined. The decision in this regard shall be taken at the latest two months before the beginning of each of the marketing years concerned.
Parliament also stated that only widespread milk production would continue to ensure extensive agricultural land use, particularly in grassland and disadvantaged areas. Extensive agricultural land use was the only way of preventing the formation of steppe, woodland and scrub, as well as the rural exodus.
The milk quota system should be maintained until 2015, because this would allow an adequate balance to be maintained on the milk market and would enable the income of producers to be stabilised. Moves to adjust the size of national quotas should be carefully assessed after the Agenda 2000 decisions have been implemented in their entirety.�