The EU Agriculture Commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel (pictured), has agreed to make an extra 280 million euros from the EU's agriculture budget 2010 available to help dairy farmers through their current crisis.

During a meeting of the EU Agriculture Ministers Fischer Boel confirmed that she as "prepared to suggest" that these 280 million euros be used to "directly benefit" dairy farmers.

Nevertheless, she also made it clear that it was not the European Commission not the Council of Agriculture Ministers who had the final say in the matter, but rather that it was down to the EU's Finance & Economy ministers, who would not be meeting until November 19th.

The move does, however, serve as a response by the European Commission to recent demands made by the 21 countries (including Spain) for a 300 million euro increase in funds for the dairy sector in next year's budget.

Fischer Boel added, however, that if it was indeed agreed that this money should be spent on the dairy farmers, that the "purse would then be empty" and there would be no money for new initiatives or room to expand any other part of the 2010 budget.
 
The Commissioner addded that she was disappointed that very few of the 21 countries demanding this extra help had included measures to help the dairy sector in their own rural development programmes.