Sheepmeat and goatmeat: common organisation of the market CMO, reform

The committee adopted the report by Gordon ADAM (PES, UK) amending the proposal under the consultation procedure. It called for the new flat-rate ewe premium to be set at EUR 30, instead of the Commission's figure of EUR 21, and for the she-goat premium also to be EUR 30, instead of the EUR 16.8 proposed by the Commission. The committee wanted farmers who have an additional source of income from marketing sheep's milk or sheep's milk products to get the same amount as other sheep and goat producers, i.e. EUR 30 instead of the Commission's proposed lower rate of EUR 16.8. It also wanted the supplementary premium, to be paid to farmers in disadvantaged areas, raised to EUR 9 per ewe from the Commission's EUR 7. A further recommendation was that Member States should make additional, annual payments to producers, on the basis of headage and/or area, as in the beef and veal sector, although the committee stipulated that these payments should not exceed EUR 5 per head. Other amendments were passed calling for a safety net to deal with price crises, emphasising the importance of quality production and seeking to reward farmers for using extensive farming methods. �