Team and resources

Human and financial resources serving the dairy sector

Cniel has human and financial resources available to fulfil the goals of the dairy sector. Approximately one hundred employees work daily to implement the strategy defined by the executive body, working with a budget largely comprised of contributions paid by the sector stakeholders. 

A team organised into 6 areas of expertise

To achieve the initiatives defined by its decision-making bodies, Cniel has a team of approximately one hundred employees. The staff was reorganised in 2019 to be more agile and collaborative, working within a structure organised into 6 centres of expertise:

  • Science and economics
  • Prospectives
  • Public affairs
  • Marketing and communication
  • Graphics, digital and events
  • General Secretariat
Goutte jaune

Science and economics centre

Provides stakeholders with the economic, technical and scientific references needed to support their competitiveness within the framework of sustainable development in the areas of the dairy economy, milk and dairy product quality, and responsible production and processing conditions. 

Goute de lait bleue

Prospectives centre

Monitors and analyses both the strong and weak signals in France and internationally regarding the interests of the sector and the image of stakeholders and dairy products.

Goutte verte

Public affairs centre

Promotes the work of Cniel among dairy professionals; represents the position of the sector in public discourse; provides reliable information on the dairy sector to the press; and fosters dialogue between the dairy sector and various stakeholders.

Goutte rouge

Marketing and communications centre

Communicates about the dairy sector and dairy products to consumers in France and at international level.

Goutte Cyan

Creation, digital and events department

Designs and develops communication tools and events for all of our target audiences.

Goutte violet

General secretariat centre

Safeguards Cniel and its subsidiaries and ensures the smooth statutory, administrative, IT, legal and budgetary functioning.

Cniel’s Financial Resources (2024 Budget)

Cniel’s budgetary resources derive from:

  • Mandatory Voluntary Contributions paid by producers, cooperatives, and private processors, amounting to €36.6 million.
  • Voluntary Contributions (CV) paid by members of the distribution, catering, and dairy product trade branch, amounting to €1.6 million.
  • European Union subsidies for communication programmes, amounting to €6.2 million.

This totals €44.4 million in resources for 2024.

Mandatory voluntary contribution (CVO)

The “Mandatory Voluntary Contribution” refers to the interprofessional contribution paid by the producers and processors of cow’s milk, allocated to finance interprofessional common interest initiatives. The CVO has two seemingly contradictory aspects:

  • Voluntary aspect: The member organisations of the Cniel representing producers and processors freely and unanimously determine the contributing bodies and the amount of the contributions.
  • Mandatory aspect: Once the Cniel obtains the validation of the agreement establishing the interprofessional contribution by ministerial decree, it becomes enforceable for all producers and processors in the dairy sector.

The CVO is determined by an interprofessional agreement renewed every three years by the Cniel Board of Directors and validated by public authorities. The latest agreement, dated 28 September 2022, encompasses the years 2023 to 2025. It is based on the volumes of raw cow’s milk produced and delivered in France, and on the volumes of raw milk collected or purchased and processed in France. The CVO is a private obligation collected by the Cniel.

The current rate is €1.662 per 1000 litres of milk, distributed as follows:

  • €1.22 per 1000 litres of milk for producers (72%)
  • €0.442 per 1000 litres of milk for processors (28%)

Voluntary contribution (CV)

The “Voluntary Contribution” is an optional contribution paid by stakeholders in the dairy product distribution, catering, and trade sector. It aims to finance certain promotional, research and development activities in the dairy sector.

Loupe

The Cniel resources

The total contributions, amounting to €44.4 million including European subsidies (2024 budget), finance the various initiatives validated by the Board of Directors and outlined in the sector roadmap, addressing three main challenges:

  • Attracting workers to the sector and regions
  • Decarbonisation of the sector by 2050
  • Animal welfare

These initiatives are subject to strict rules and regular controls:

  • The activities financed by contributions from dairy sector stakeholders must be collective and must not benefit one or more operators individually. They must also be listed in the interprofessional missions established at the European level by the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets (CMO) and comply with European competition policy.
  • To ensure the legality of the usage of Cniel resources, a financial controller appointed by the French Ministry of Finance attends the Cniel Board of Directors and General Assembly meetings.

Cniel’s Financing and Budget

40,23%
quarante
For each €100 of the 2024 budget
23.9% Public communication in France
13.2% Public communication internationally, including Europe
23.2% Scientific and economic studies/analyses/ research programs
8.2% Antibiotic compensation fund
6.9% Coordination of the FTDL social responsibility initiative and IDF approaches
10.9% Economic outlook, consumption patterns, monitoring
10.1% Communication with the sector and its stakeholders
3.6% Operating expenses
40,23%
quarante
€44.4 Million budget for 2024
82% Mandatory Voluntary Contribution (CVO)
4% Voluntary Contribution (CV)
14% Subsidies

A budget invested in the future of the sector

Guided by its strategic roadmap for 2023-2025  and the three priority challenges  – attracting new workers to the sector and decarbonisation – Cniel utilises its budget to fulfil its three principal missions to best serve the sector’s stakeholders:
•    Creating and deploying a common framework and the optimal conditions for the economic development of the sector and each of its branches.
•    Strengthening the collective dynamic of progress in the sector in the interest of both stakeholders and consumers.
•    Communicating on the sector and about dairy products through promotion campaigns in France and at international level.
 

Learn more about the missions of Cniel