Brussels, 14/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 13 May, agriculture ministers of the EU member states did not manage to adopt, by qualified majority, the position to be taken on behalf of the EU on resolutions that will be submitted to the next general assembly of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). The EU countries that are OIV members are therefore expected to call for voting, planned to be held at this meeting, to be deferred.
The Agriculture Council failed in its attempt to define the stance to be adopted on behalf of the EU regarding draft scientific and technical resolutions to be put to the next OIV general assembly in Bucharest on 7 June, which would have an impact on Community legislation. The OIV has 43 members and only 21 countries of the Union are a part of it, which is not the case for the EU as such, with the European Commission having only been authorised to participate in the group of experts.
Blocking minority.
This is the third time that the European Commission has put a proposal to the EU27 to adopt an EU stance for resolutions to be voted by the OIV. In June 2011, the Council of the Union had not managed to do so while, on 18 Jun 2011, a qualified majority had been gathered. Nonetheless, on 28 August 2012, Germany introduced action before the EU Court of Justice in order to have the last decision annulled, stating that the legal base was not appropriate and that the resolutions of the international organisation cannot therefore have an impact at Community level. The judges are not due to deliver a verdict before mid-2014.
This time, a blocking minority was again opposed to the Commission project including: Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Austria and Portugal. On the other hand, France, Spain and Italy supported the draft decision.
The Commission considers that member states participating in the next OIV general assembly will be in breach of the Lisbon Treaty if, during the meeting, they take a stance that has not been approved beforehand by the Council. In 2011, for this reason, they had opened proceedings that were then suspended but could be re-launched. In Bucharest, the EU countries concerned should therefore call for OIV votes to be postponed until 2014. The other participants, however, could agree to take a stance without the EU. (LC/transl.jl)