Dairy farmers from six countries have been spilling thousands of litres of milk as part of a coordinated protest to pressure the European Union into overhauling regulation of the dairy market.

In Brussels, demonstrators sent a delegation to lobby the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso. Erwin Schopeges, President of the Milk Interest Group (MIG) in Belgium, said: “I believe that the politicians are absolutely obliged to change their policies because if they don’t, our actions will continue because Mr Barroso has decided to take a path of ultra-liberalism. He must feel the pressure and we would like the consumers to also put pressure on the politicians.” Demonstrations have been held in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Austria. Organisers blame their governments and the EC for what they call failed liberalisation policies and an unworkable milk quota system. They want a reduction in milk production levels to benefit the farmers, not, they say, just the industry.More about: Agriculture, European Union

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