COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMVIUNITIES 
COM(94) 113 final 
Brussels, 07.04.1994 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL 
Programme of measures for promoting consumption in the 
Community and expanding the markets for milk and milk products 
in 1994/95 
— A~ 
Explanatory memorandum 
1. Council Regulation (EEC) No 2073/92 on promoting consumption in the 
Community and expanding the markets for milk and milk products lays down 
that the Commission is to communicate to the Council before 1 April each 
year the programme of measures which it intends to take during the 
following year. 
2. Commission Regulation (EC) No 3582/93 on detailed rules for the application 
of Regulation (EEC) No 2073/92 lays down that this programme is to specify 
in particular an indication of one of more subjects to be covered by the 
measures selected, the breakdown of the amount available for financing each 
of the selected measures and the timetable for implementation of the 
procedures for the processing and selection of applications for funding 
submitted to the Commission. 
3. This communication contains the programme of measures for the 1994/95 milk 
year. 
4. As regards the choice of measures, the Commission has decided to 
concentrate funding on one product: liquid milk. The subjects covered by 
the measure are essentially the nutritional qualities and the modern image 
of the product. 
5. As regards the breakdown of the amounts available for funding the proposed 
measures, the Commission has chosen an approach based on experience gained 
in previous years with regard to the use of various media. This approach 
takes account of the particular features of the various markets. 
6.. The timetable for the implementation of the procedures for the processing 
and selection of applications takes account of the advisability of making 
the measures envisaged coincide as far as possible with the milk year. 
7. Lastly, the Commission explains the priority rules that can be applied to 
applications in accordance with Article 5(3) of Regulation (EEC) 
No 3582/93. 
Programme of measures for promoting consumption in the 
Community and expanding the markets for milk and milk products 
in 1994/95 
(Commission communication to the Council) 
SUBJECT OF THE COMMUNICATION 
1. Article 1(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2073/92<1) gives an 
exhaustive list of the measures which the Commission may adopt to 
promote consumption in the Community and to expand the markets for 
milk and milk products. 
2. Article 2 of the above-mentioned Regulation requires the Commission to 
communicate to the Council before 1 April the programme of measures 
which it intends to take during the following marketing year. 
3. Pursuant to Article 2 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 3582/93<2) the 
programme must specify in particular a choice of one or more measures 
from those listed in the above-mentioned Council Regulation, an 
indication of one or more subjects to be covered by the measures 
selected; a breakdown of the amount available for financing each of 
the selected measures; a timetable for implementing the procedures for 
the processing and selection of financing applications. 
4. This communication is in five parts: 
- brief summary of the previous campaigns 
- choice of measures to be implemented 
- choice of subjects to be developed 
(1) OJ No L 215, 30.7.1992, p. 67. 
(2) OJ No L 326, 28.12.1993, p. 23. 
2 -
breakdown of the amount available 
timetable for the implementation of the procedures for the 
processing and selection of financing applications. 
II. ANALYSIS OF PREVIOUS CAMPAIGNS 
1. The four previous campaigns (1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93 and 1993/94), 
all financed from co-responsibility funds took very different forms 
from one Member State to another, both as regards the subjects 
developed and the media used. 
2. A distinction can be made between promotion centred on individual 
products (butter, cheese, liquid milk) and promotion in which the 
message stresses the nutritional, health and pleasurable qualities of 
milk and milk products as a whole. 
3. In 1993/94 the promotion effort in which the Commission was involved 
cost a total of ECU 67.3 million, of which ECU 62.3 million was 
allocated under Regulation (EEC) No 585/93(!) and ECU 5.0 million 
under Regulation (EEC) No 465/92<2). 
4. The promotion of individual products accounted for 6 8% of this total 
and the promotion of milk and milk products as a whole 32%: 
ECU million 
% Butter 
8.4 
12.5 Cheese 
15.9 
23.6 Liquid 
milk 
21.5 
31.9 Other 
subjects 
21.5 
32.û Total 
67.3 
100.0 
(1) OJ No L 61, 13.3.1993, p. 26. 
(2) OJ No L 53, 28.2.1992, p. 8. 
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5. The media used for the promotion of products were, in order of 
importance: television, the press, information leaflets and brochures 
T.V. 
Press 
Information 
leaf lets 
Other 
Total Butter 
ECU m. 
2.2 
3.4 
0.2 
2.6 
8.4 % 
26.2 
40.5 
0.3 
31.0 
100.0 Cheese 
ECU m. 
5.2 
6.5 
0.7 
3.5 
15.9 % 
32.7 
40.9 
0.4 
22.0 
100.0 Liquid 
mi Ik 
ECU m. 
13.3 
2.2 
3.5 
2.5 
21.5 % 
61.9 
10.2 
16.3 
11.6 
100.0 Total 
ECU m. 
20.7 
12.1 
4.4 
8.6 
45.8 % 
45.2 
26.4 
9.6 
18.8 
100.0 
6. The promotional profile varies from one Member state to another. In 
eight Member States liquid milk is promoted most; in three Member 
States milk products are promoted as a whole and in one Member State 
the emphasis is on butter. The usual media (TV, radio, press) account 
for between 75 and 88% of the programmes; promotion of liquid milk is 
mainly on TV, whereas butter and cheese advertising appears mainly in 
the written press. Radio plays only a very small part. Merchandising 
is used only for cheese (8.6% of investments). Sponsoring plays only a 
minor role (Belgium, Denmark, Scotland). 
7. This analysis should be treated with caution as it covers only those 
programmes in which the Commission has participated, other advertising 
investments for milk products (national and brand programmes) are very 
substantial and are not dealt with here. 
III. CHOICE OF MEASURES TO BE IMPLEMENTED 
1. Objectives 
Community financing of promotion programmes is limited to 
ECU 10 million. If these programmes are to remain effective, the 
resources available to the Commission need to be concentrated on well 
targeted objectives, using the most appropriate media. 
The programme proposed will also have to add value to the promotional 
investments made in the past, particularly on subjects which can only 
be developed collectively. 
_ 4 -
Lastly, the promotion measures are designed to improve market 
equilibrium, influencing demand. Consequently, the programme must 
choose from among all the possible measures those which have an 
immediate impact and which can encourage consumer habits which are 
advantageous to the dairy industry in the Member states. 
2. Measure chosen 
The Commission has chosen for the 1994/95 campaign to concentrate the 
promotion of milk products on liquid milk. 
Although total consumption of liquid milk is stable, or even rising 
slightly in the Community as a whole, there is a steady decline in the 
consumption of pasteurized whole milk and a marked downward trend 
generally for whole milk as against semi-skimmed and skimmed milk: 
•000 t 
Whole milk 
- pasteurized 
- UHT 
Semi-skimmed milk 
- pasteurized 
- UHT 
TOTAL MILK 86 
15 347 
10 647 
3 081 
6 698 
1 908 
4 021 
22 045 87 
15 078 
10 339 
3 058 
6 951 
2 126 
4 010 
22 029 88 
14 656 
9 973 
3 281 
7 449 
2 464 
4 259 
22 105 89 
14 374 
9 640 
3 402 
7 791 
2 731 
4 340 
22 165 90 
13 331 
9 024 
3 428 
8 583 
3 187 
4 699 
21 914 91 
13 799 
8 839 
3 728 
9 618 
3 562 
5 319 
23 417 
It is logical, given the limited resources at the Commission's 
disposal, that the programme for the coming year should concentrate on 
the promotion of whole milk. The word 'whole' will not be over­
emphasized, but any programme designed to promote semi-skimmed or 
skimmed milk will be excluded from Community funding. 
It has been seen that such promotion can bear fruit not only in 
maintaining consumption in those Member States where it has been 
traditionally high (an excellent TV commercial boosted consumption of 
whole milk in the Aberdeen district by 7,6% in March 1993 compared 
with March 1992) but also in the Member States where there are good 
prospects for milk as a drink (Portugal, Spain, Greece). 
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In past programmes one third of the investment was reserved for liquid 
milk. The choice of whole milk enables pressure to be maintained on an 
important segment of the market and value to be added to previous 
investments. 
IV. CHOICE OF PROMOTION SUBJECTS TO BE DEVELOPED 
Two main themes have been dealt with in previous campaigns: 
nutrition: milk as a healthy food, insufficient consumption of which 
can lead to serious deficiencies; 
a modern image for milk and the pleasure aspect: milk is perfectly 
adapted to current consumer trends while remaining pure and natural; 
it is also a source of pleasure compatible with current values and 
tastes. 
The programmes selected will develop at least one of these themes. 
V. BREAKDOWN OF THE AMOUNT AVAILABLE 
1. In the light of experience gained, applicants are asked to make use of 
the advertising media television, the press and information and 
advertising leaflets aimed at the general public. The breakdown of the 
budget available between these media may vary from region to region 
and/or from one Member state to another. 
2. In any case, the Commission will give priority to Community-wide 
initiatives, which, by grouping programmes, make for economies of 
scale. 
Proposals must clearly show which medium or media are chosen to convey 
each message. 
Particular attention will be paid to defining targets, messages and 
appropriate media. 
3. The Commission will give priority to applications which 
1. are justified by an ex ante cost/benefit analysis 
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2. provide for a programme 
- covering several Member States and designed to develop all the 
themes indicated in point IV above 
- stressing the promotion of pasteurized milk 
- giving priority to TV, provided that the use of this medium is 
justified by the budget envisaged. 
VI. TIMETABLE 
1. By 6 May 1994 at the latest - submission of proposals to the competent 
authorities, in triplicate, with a résumé in English or French. 
2. By 3 June 1994 at the latest - forwarding to the Commission of all 
proposals, in duplicate, accompanied by a reasoned opinion from the 
competent authority. 
3. As soon as possible the Commission will draw up the list of measures 
approved and will notify the Member States, whose competent authorities 
will have one month to issue the contracts. 
VII. CONCLUSION 
Council Regulation (EEC) No 2073/92 substantially changed the practice 
of promotion of milk products by imposing the discipline of an annual 
programme. The programme set out in this communication is experimental. 
The choice of liquid milk for 1994/95 does not rule out other products 
being chosen in the future, but the commission felt this choice was a 
good starting point for the new approach to promotion of milk products. 
The Commission will keep a particularly close watch on how the campaign 
develops, and will base the next programme on its findings. 
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ISSN 0254-1475 
COM (94) 113 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN io os 
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