Brussels, 18/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The agriculture ministers of the member states of the EU are meeting in Brussels on Monday 21 February to discuss the future of the common agricultural policy (CAP). This will be the last exchange of views on the communication of the Commission of November 2010. At the March Agriculture Council, the ministers will try to adopt conclusions on the reform of the CAP. The Commission's legislative proposals on this dossier are scheduled for June 2011.
The third table round of the Agriculture Council on the future of the CAP post-2013 will be given over to the “balanced local development” objective identified by the European Commission communication of 18 November last year. The two objectives (viable food production and the sustainable management of natural resources and measures in favour of the climate) were the subjects of the previous debates. A questionnaire has been prepared by the Hungarian Presidency to feed into the debate on the balanced local development objective: do you share this objective and, in your opinion, how could the future CAP better: - support rural employment and maintain the social fabric of rural areas; - improve the rural economy and promote diversification; - allow the structural diversity of production systems, and improve the situation for small farmers and local markets? Second question: to what extent do the vitality and potential of the rural areas of the EU depend on the presence of a competitive and dynamic agricultural sector which is attractive to young farmers?
Additionally, the ministers will discuss four points under “any other business”: - the well-being of laying hens (information from the European Commission about banning the use of unimproved battery cages by no later than early 2012: EUROPE 10299); - the revision of the rules on banning the use of processed animal proteins in feed for farm animals (Poland has asked for the restrictions to be relaxed to allow certain animal proteins to be added to pig feed); - results of the work on the directors of the payment agencies of the member states (requested by Belgium); - results of the United Nations Forest Forum (24 January to 2 February in New York). (L.C./transl.fl)