The UK is generally perceived by our counterparts as being the most liberal country in the European Union, with perhaps one exception - Denmark. Liberal to the extent that with agricultural policy we are much more forward-thinking with our views than anyone else. Liberal to the extent that there is less government intervention in the wider system than perhaps there is elsewhere in the EU. We have the third biggest dairy industry in the European Union and our industry is rightly respected as being important. Because of that we have a fair amount of 'clout'. But the difference between the UK and a number of our counterparts in Europe is that we are less involved in the export to European markets. Less than, say, the French or the Irish. Nevertheless, people see the UK dairy industry as efficient, well developed, well structured, but one that obviously has some severe problems - mainly because the UK milk price is the lowest in the European Union and has been for some time.
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