The present evaluation study focuses on the effects of exceptional adjustment measures implemented during the 2014-2016 market disturbance in the dairy sector. These measures were adopted on the basis of Article 219(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 (CMO regulation). Among the five exceptional measures, only two applied to all Member States and allowed them to set specific rules and criteria for aid attribution. The present evaluation study focuses on those two measures: 1) Temporary exceptional aid set out in Delegated Regulation (EU) No 2015/1853, 2) Exceptional adjustment aid set out in Delegated Regulation (EU) No 2016/1613. The evaluation study was implemented in line with the recommendations of the 2021 ECA special report1, which outlined the necessity to draw lessons from the 2014-2016 market disturbance with respect to the effects of the various models implemented by Member States on dairy farms' behaviour and liquidity, and on market stabilisation, together with the role of crisis risk management by producers and dairies. The study examines the consistency of the exceptional measures with the environmental objectives of the CAP and the relevance of the choices made by Member States to distribute the EU budget made available under the exceptional measures to the different livestock sectors. The evaluation study covers all 27 EU Member States during the implementation periods of both measures (from 2015 to 2017) and extra years before and after the implementation period to fully assess their effects. The replies to evaluation questions are based on specific judgement criteria and indicators from various sources, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses. The analyses were built on existing data sources, from the EU, national databases, and relevant literature, and they were complemented by primary data collected for use in the evaluation. In-depth analyses were carried out in the 10 Member States covered by case studies: Belgium (Wallonia), Germany, Estonia, Ireland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Finland. In these Member States, interviews with stakeholders of the dairy sector made it possible to gather qualitative information and the opinions of key stakeholders (e.g. Managing Authorities, farmers' representatives, dairies and researchers) relative to the context, the implementation choices of exceptional measures, and their results. Different analytical tools were also used to identify potential effects associated with the measures and to compare numerous information sources to obtain a comprehensive picture of the situation.
