FrieslandCampina and Milcobel take next step toward merger with publication of final proposal for member review

FrieslandCampina and Milcobel take next step toward merger with publication of final proposal for member review

(IN BRIEF) FrieslandCampina and Milcobel have published their final merger proposal, outlining legal, financial, and operational details ahead of member consultations this autumn. The merger aims to create a stronger, future-proof dairy cooperative that secures long-term earnings for member farmers, provides growth opportunities, and increases investments in sustainability, productivity, and innovation. Leaders from both cooperatives stressed that members will retain ownership and control, while benefiting from the scale and resilience the merger brings. Members of both organisations will vote on 16 December 2025, with the merger requiring strong majorities at each cooperative. The deal also remains subject to competition authority approval.

(PRESS RELEASE) AMERSFOORT, 6-Sep-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — FrieslandCampina and Milcobel have jointly released the final merger proposal, advancing their plan to combine forces as one cooperative organisation. This announcement follows the intention to merge made public in December 2024 and represents a key milestone on the path toward creating a stronger, future-proof enterprise for their members, employees, and customers.

The document expands on the earlier announcement, setting out the legal, financial, and operational details of the merger. Together, FrieslandCampina and Milcobel aim to build an organisation that ensures competitive and stable earnings for member dairy farmers and their successors, provides an attractive workplace for employees, and continues to deliver high-quality dairy products to global customers and consumers. By pooling resources, the two cooperatives will gain scale to increase investment in productivity, innovation, and sustainability—strengthening resilience in an increasingly dynamic and challenging market.

Sybren Attema, Chair of the Board of Zuivelcoöperatie FrieslandCampina U.A., commented: “The scale of the new enterprise will safeguard market strength, while members retain ownership and control within the cooperative. Our strategy will remain focused on maximising the value of all member milk, which allows us to continue paying a leading milk price and provide our dairy farmers with sustainable and reliable income for the long term.”

Betty Eeckhaut, Chair of the Board of Milcobel, added: “This step is taken with the future of our member farmers and employees at heart. By joining forces with FrieslandCampina, we strengthen our position in a highly competitive dairy sector while also creating growth opportunities in a market shaped by stricter regulations, evolving consumer demands, and sustainability challenges. Importantly, the cooperative principles of ownership, control, and solidarity among members remain at the core.”

Both cooperatives will now engage their members to discuss the proposal. At FrieslandCampina, discussions will take place during autumn member meetings and district councils in October and November. At Milcobel, open Members’ Circle board meetings are planned for September and October, alongside consideration by the Cooperative Council. Final decision-making is scheduled for 16 December 2025 at the FrieslandCampina Members’ Council and Milcobel’s Extraordinary General Meeting. The merger requires a two-thirds majority approval from FrieslandCampina members and a three-quarters majority from Milcobel members.

Implementation of the merger will also depend on approval by relevant competition authorities. FrieslandCampina and Milcobel will work closely with these bodies to ensure the process is conducted transparently and in line with regulatory standards.

Media Contact:

Jan-Willem ter Avest
+31 (0)6 83639940
press@frieslandcampina.com

Source: FrieslandCampina