Brussels, 17/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - A number of other business points were raised at the Agriculture Council on Monday 16 December by the Commission and member states.
Atmospheric pollutants. The German delegation, with the support of Denmark and Luxembourg, asked the Commission for more details on the impact of the revision of Directive 2001/81/EC on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants. The Commission is due, on Wednesday 18 December, to adopt a proposal with emissions ceilings until 2030. Germany and these countries were supported by several other states: France, Ireland, Poland, Latvia, United Kingdom and Finland. These countries called for a cautious approach when it proposes a revision of the NEC directive setting emission ceilings. The Commission is expected to adopt a proposal on emissions ceilings until 2030. They highlighted that EU agriculture emission reduction obligations could have significant implications, in particular as regards ammonia, as the farming sector accounts for more than 90% of such emissions (particularly the animal sector). The Commission will keep the Council informed about this issue. The Commission pointed out that this revision is included in the legislation. Commissioner for Agriculture Dacian Ciolos said that his services were aware about the particular problems this review could create in the agricultural sector.
Milk. The Commission presented the main conclusions of the conference on the “EU dairy sector: developing beyond 2015” which took place in Brussels on 24 September 2013. The Commission considers that the results from the conference require answers to two questions: 1) To what extent and under what conditions will the market management instruments included in the new CAP (safety net, professional organisations and emergency measures) be efficient in the event of a crisis arising? 2) Do we need more targeted instruments for the dairy sector to respond to the development challenge in vulnerable rural zones?
Ciolos called on the Council to debate these two points during the first months of the Greek presidency. He will ask the EP to do likewise. These debates will underpin the report that the Commission hopes to present by June 2014. France, Poland, Portugal, Finland, Austria and Spain have requested measures to support areas that are in danger of being weakened after the disappearance of milk quotas in 2015. Some countries (Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands) asked for quotas to be increased before they are scrapped or to make the coefficients on milk fats more flexible. France, Spain and Portugal supported the idea of setting up a milk market observatory.
Organic farming. Ministers were briefed by Ciolos about the main results of the public consultation on organic farming carried out between 15 January and 10 April last, which received nearly 45,000 responses. The Commission services are preparing a draft legislative text, as well as an guidance document (action plan), with a view to adoption by the Commission in March 2014. Finland asked to be able to continue using selenium in animal fodder (organic production). Many countries, including Spain, Germany and Austria, said that there should be no break with the current legislative framework. France and Germany asked to be able to continue in the future with national organic logos. France asked for reciprocity with third countries on organic products and for this matter to be taken into account in international trade negotiations. Ciolos provided assurances that national logos would be able to continue, that there would be no break with current rules and that sometimes EU standards for organic production are less demanding than those from certain third countries. The proposal's main aim is to reduce the many exceptions that currently exist in legislation on organic farming.
Rice. Italy, supported by Greece, Spain and France, in particular, called on the Commission to assess the “particularly difficult situation” of the EU rice sector, which has got worse due to the increase in milled rice, particularly the Indica variety from the least developed countries (LDCs) and other countries which have bilateral agreements with the EU. Imports from the LDCs have increased from 5,000 tonnes in 2008 to more than 180,000 tonnes this year. Cambodia and Burma have very ambitious sales targets for the future in this field.
The Commission pointed out that the EU is not self-sufficient in rice (40% of need is met by imports). In order to respond to EU market requirements, significant imports of Indica and broken rice have to be allowed, although the situation with Japonica rice is different, the EU being self-sufficient. For the time being, imports included under the “everything but arms” system (from Cambodia and Burma) have replaced imports from other third countries and production prices are not below their usual levels, said the Commission. Ciolos made it understood that he believed that, at this stage, it was premature to launch any safeguard investigation into the matter. Such an investigation could be misinterpreted by the EU's international partners, the Commission stated. Ciolos said that the Commission and member states should continue to closely examine the market situation and import flows on a weekly basis. If a serious risk to the Community market were to appear, the EU would have the means to swiftly initiate an investigation and take action to protect its market from any major crisis occurring. Ciolos pointed out that the new CAP would enable EU countries to use voluntary coupled payments for rice, as well as rural development measures in areas affected.
Labelling. Italy, supported by Croatia, expressed its concerns regarding the colour code recommended in the United Kingdom for food product labels and drinks to indicate their nutritional value. According to the Commission, this system does not contravene Community rules, in so far as it is voluntary and not compulsory. (LC/transl.fl)