Winding down of quotas will begin in 2008

AFTER a hectic three years of change for the EU dairy industry, all that remains is to end milk quotas.

The 2003 CAP mid-term review set out to make agricultural production more market oriented, by replacing market supports with direct income supports for farmers, not linked to production.

That process is on the way, with export supports, refunds and production aids removed or reduced. Intervention, private storage and consumption aids have all-but disappeared.