Brussels, 01/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - Belgian Federal Agriculture Minister Sabine Laruelle has said that the priorities of the Belgian Presidency in agriculture between 1 July and 31 December 2010 will be “the launch of the political debate on the future of the post-2013 common agricultural policy (CAP) and assessment of the recommendations made by the high-level group on milk and dairy products”.
In agriculture, faced with climate change, global food challenges, the volatility of agricultural produce prices and health risks, “only an ambitious policy, conducted at European level and with consequent resources, can guarantee the future of agriculture and the availability of safe, high quality foodstuffs at reasonable prices,” the Belgian government says, adding that agriculture as a whole and the CAP in particular “can contribute significantly to all the objectives” of the EUROPE 2020 strategy. For the agriculture sector to achieve these objectives, appropriate levels of funding will have to be provided, Laruelle's staff said. The Belgian Presidency will work to achieve political agreement on improving and simplifying rural development policy.
Several meetings on the future of the CAP. On 19-20 July, the European Commission will hold a major conference to take stock of the public consultation exercise on the CAP after 2013 which took place between April and June 2010. According to the indicative timetable of Council meetings, EU agriculture ministers will continue the debate of the future of the CAP at their informal meeting in La Hulpe near Brussels on 19-21 September and in three Agriculture Councils: on 26 October, 29-30 November and 13-14 December. The Commission intends to adopt its communication on the CAP after 2013 some time around mid-November.
Milk. Agriculture ministers will discuss the recommendations of the high-level group on milk with a view to adopting conclusions at their meetings on 12 July, 27 September (the conclusions might possibly be adopted at this meeting) and 13-14 December (when there will be an exchange of views on the Commission's legislative proposals.
Policy on quality, animal health and GMOs. The Council will hold an exchange of views in December on the Commission proposal on the quality of agricultural produce. The Belgian Presidency hopes to get political agreement on proposals for improving and simplifying rural development policy at the meeting on 26 October.
At the end of November, agriculture ministers will adopt conclusions on the TSE (transmissible spongiform encephalopathy) roadmap 2010-2015 which the Commission will bring forward. On 26 October, the Commission will present an evaluation report on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Other issues on the Agriculture Council agenda for the second half of the year are: - extending the derogation granted to the German alcohol monopoly (12 July); - the Commission report on the Outermost Regions (27 September and 26 October), food distribution to the most deprived people in the EU (27 September and 26 October); - the Commission report on the farm advisory system (FAS) (possibly in November).
At the Council on 13-14 December, the Belgian Presidency will raise: the working party report on revision of the plant health regime; and the report on the “Where human kindness meets animal kind” conference. (L.C./transl.rt)