El proceso de desaparicion de explotaciones y reestructuracion (concentracion de la produccion en unidades de mayor dimension por su cuota), aunque de intensidad variable en la UE-15, prosigue y es previsible que no se detenga, sobre todo si el ciclo de bajos precios de la leche, tras los avatares de la segunda mitad de 2007 y comienzos de 2008, vuelve para mantenerse a medio plazo, impulsado por la reforma de3 la OCM en la Reforma Intermedia de la PAC de 2003 (MTR) y su revision de 2008 (incremento anual de cuota a todos los EE.MM. en un horizonte de desaparicion de las cuotas en 2015). The process of disappearance of milk farms and restructuring (concentration of the production in herds of more dimension per their quota), though a variable intensity in the EU-15, continues and is predictable that it doesn't stop, especially if the cycle of low prices of the milk, after the increases of the second half of 2007 and beginning of 2008, returns to be kept medium-term, encouraged by the changes of the OCM in the reform of the PAC )MTR 2003) and her review of 2008 (annual increase of quota to all the MM.EE. in a prospect of the quotas abolition in 20015). In this context, Spain, with Portugal and Greece, and Italy to certain distance, heads the rates of abandonment of the production and of increase of the average quantity of quota of the herds. Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany stand out as the MM.EE. of the smallest decrease of the number of herds and of smallest progress of the average quota per farm, always below the average of the EU 15, and Denmark and United Kingdom for important declines of the first parameter, corresponded with strong progresses of the second one. The other MM.EE. do not differ from the average of the EU-15 (-7,5 percent variation for the number and 8,4 percent for the average quota). From the territorial point of view, Spain shows the same picture that the EU 15, more accused from the period of quotas 1998-99, losing more number of herds the AA.CC. in which the strata of smaller dimension in quota were retaining more figures. Given the regionalization of the production of milk in Spain, three AA.CC. integrated to the Atlantic European arch, which frames in the EU-15 the milk production, shows a similar behavior, continues shaping the hard nucleus of the Spanish milk production and evolves towards milk farms of bigger dimension in quota.
