The EDA Dairy Flash #9/2026 of 11 June covers the EU dairy mission to Thailand, EDA’s participation in industry forums and new position papers on EU ETS and animal welfare.
EU dairy mission to Thailand: huge opportunities for Europe
EU Commissioner Christophe Hansen and Thailand’s Deputy Minister for Agriculture Watcharaphon Khaokham opened the EU Agri-Business Forum in Bangkok — the Commissioner’s third agri-food mission, with a record ~100 delegates from 20 EU Member States.
Deputy Director-General of DG AGRI Diego Canga Fano and EU Ambassador Luisa Ragher opened the EU pavilion at THAIFEX — Asia’s largest annual food and beverage trade show, with around 3,300 exhibitors across 140,000 square metres. Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the pavilion. The European Union has been named the fair’s ‘Partner Region 2026’.
With over 70 million people and a genuine appetite for high-quality food, Thailand has enormous potential for European food and dairy excellence. EDA’s Alexander Anton spoke at the business forum on ‘unlocking opportunities for EU food and dairy in Thailand’.
EDA Vice-President Gilles Gerard (CEO, LUXLAIT), leader of the dairy delegation:
“For European dairy, Thailand offers huge opportunities — within the country and through its role as a commercial hub for the whole region. With dairy self-sufficiency below 50% and a growing appetite for cheese and dairy drinks, we fully support Commissioner Hansen to bring the EU–Thai Free Trade Agreement over the finishing line.”
EDA at the EFSA Stakeholder Discussion Group
EDA’s Fanny Courivaud attended the annual EFSA Stakeholder Discussion Group meeting on Chemical Occurrence Data in Parma — a valuable opportunity for constructive dialogue with the European Food Safety Authority on simplifying the data submission process.
EDA at the Greek Dairy Conference 2026
EDA was invited by Greek member SEVGAP to their biannual national dairy sector gathering in Athens, which brought together 180 participants including industry leaders, farmers, retailers, researchers and technology experts. In her keynote, EDA’s Kinga Adamaszwili highlighted the importance of EDA voicing the EU dairy sector’s position to Brussels policymakers and presented current nutrition and food policy topics that will shape the future debate around food, including dairy.
The European dairy sector’s commitment to animal welfare and animal health
EDA continues to support the harmonisation of animal welfare rules across the EU and advocates for equivalent standards for imported products, contributing to a level playing field for producers while promoting high animal welfare standards globally. EDA’s latest factsheet presents concrete actions taken by the European dairy sector to advance animal welfare and health, with approaches tailored to local realities across diverse farming systems and geographies.
EDA at the EBIC Summit 2026 on European agricultural resilience
EDA’s Alexander Anton spoke in the opening plenary panel of the EBIC Summit 2026 on dairy’s role as the foundation of a resilient food chain. The discussion, moderated by Christine Gould, brought together Riccardo Preve (Riso Gallo), Amy Roberts (Lallemand Plant Care) and Max Schulman (COPA-Cogeca), focusing on how Europe can better support farmers in addressing climate pressures, market volatility and geopolitical uncertainty. Key message: resilient supply chains begin with a robust farming sector. The potential of biostimulants in EU agriculture remains largely untapped.
EDA welcomes agriculture students to learn about the European dairy sector
On World Milk Day, EDA hosted students from Campus des Sicaudières, a higher education institution specialising in agricultural studies. EDA’s Fanny Courivaud introduced the students to the role and functioning of a trade association and the main challenges faced by EDA as the representative body of the European dairy processing sector.
EDA outlines dairy sector priorities for the EU ETS revision
As discussions on the upcoming EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) revision progress, EDA has published its position paper setting out the dairy sector’s key priorities. The sector remains committed to contributing to the EU’s climate objectives while ensuring the transition remains economically viable for food production across Europe. EDA’s position underlines the importance of maintaining effective carbon leakage protection, ensuring predictable investment conditions and recycling ETS revenues into industrial decarbonisation, while avoiding unnecessary administrative complexity for operators.
Dairy innovation: helping dairy farmers produce higher quality milk with fewer antibiotics
Mileutis, an animal health company based in Ness Ziona, develops innovative biological solutions based on naturally derived milk proteins to improve dairy cow health and milk quality while reducing antibiotic reliance. Working with leading dairy farms including Yotvata Dairy (partly owned by Strauss Group), the company demonstrates through its udder health range (IMILAC® and MILAC®) that healthier cows, better-quality milk and reduced antibiotic use can go hand in hand.
Co-founder and CEO David Javier Iscovich:
“The future of dairy is producing more and better milk with fewer antibiotics. We believe farmers should not have to choose between productivity and sustainability — they can achieve both.”
EDA Annual Convention 2026 — Bratislava
EDA invites you to three days of exchange among the European dairy industry in the heart of Slovakia — Bratislava. The convention brings together experts and executives from the European lactosphere and beyond. Register at eda2026.eu
Source: EDA Dairy Flash #9/2026 (PDF)
