The end of the milk quota regime in the European Union: the perspective of the dairy sector with particular regard to mountain area

In March 2015, the milk quota system in Europe that had lasted for more than 30 years was abolished to improve the competitiveness of the European dairy sector in the international market. Despite an increase in the consumption of dairy products in Europe, the milk price is expected to stabilize in the next decade after a decrease between 2015 and 2016. This stabilization of prices will be caused by a significant increase in production, with the proportion exceeding domestic demand to be exported. In the international market, the price of milk will reduce in the next decade, leading to a restructuring of the milk sector with a lower number of farms, but with higher production and efficiency. Mountain farms will follow the same trend, although these farms play an important social role by providing ecosystem services such as maintaining cultural services, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting soil stability, and improving the aesthetic value of the landscape. Nevertheless, they remain at a disadvantage compared with lowland farms. To prevent the loss of mountain farms, there is thus a need to valorize the ecosystem services that they provide and promote the processing of milk into certified products of high quality