MIC objects to dairy products advert

The Malta-EU Information Centre (MIC) said it is in no way connected to paid adverts, of "unknown origin", regarding the results of EU accession on the Maltese dairy sector.

It said the advertiser "who has remained anonymous to the readers of local newspapers", had quoted a special edition of Aggornat which MIC had published in January 2003, explaining the results of negotiations on the agricultural sector. It said the advertiser quoted those parts related to the fat content of drinking milk, the stocking density on dairy farms and the public health protection in milk and milk products.

Regarding the stocking density, MIC said the advertiser "conveniently" left out the sentence: "Moreover, for the purposes of determining the stocking density, no account shall be taken of dairy cows needed to produce the total reference quantity of milk allocated to the producer".

On the question of public health protection in milk and milk products, MIC said the advertiser left out the following: "The EU emphasised, however, the crucial importance that dairy farms and milk processing establishments (as against farms) comply with EU rules to guarantee food safety".

MIC said one had to bear in mind the context in which the accession negotiations on the agricultural sector were conducted. "The Maltese government wanted on one hand to safeguard the Maltese farming industry and to help it compete in the EU's single market and, on the other hand, safeguard the right for choice and quality for consumers. The EU accession negotiations in no way were intended to compromise on food safety," it said.