Luxembourg, 17/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - In Luxembourg on Tuesday 17 June, the agriculture ministers of the countries of the EU were divided over the degree of protection to be provided by the EU in respect of imports of plants from third countries.
The liberal countries took position in favour of an open system (negative list: i.e. a list of products which cannot be imported). Others, such as France and Spain, called for a more closed system (positive list: i.e. comprising only those products that can be imported).
The Presidency presented the Council with its report on the state of progress on the raft of measures concerning animal health, plant health and controls. These measures aim to tighten up the application of health and safety standards for the whole of the agri-food chain. It includes proposed regulations aiming to: - review the regulatory framework on plant health; - guarantee the health, identification and quality of plant reproductive material; - simplify the entire set of legislative provisions applicable to animal health; - review and clarify the rules on official controls for the entire length of the food chain; - manage expenditure by means of a common financial framework for food and feed, modernising the existing financial provisions.
The proposal on the EU's plant reproductive material regime was rejected by the European Parliament at first reading in March this year (see EUROPE 11036).
Plant health. The Netherlands pointed out that in April, the Council (at technical level) and the European Parliament took position against a closed import authorisation system. Under this closed system, every third country would have to apply in order to be able to sell a product in the EU, a procedure which could hinder trade. The Netherlands is therefore opposed to a positive list of products which can be imported by the EU. It was supported by Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom, and the Commission also takes a similar view. Tonio Borg, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Affairs, took position against a closed import system (in other words against a positive list). He spoke in favour of an “open” system with “adjustments”, in order to protect EU plants.
In the opposite corner, France, Spain and Cyprus argued in favour of a closed system (positive list). “We need a high level of sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, whilst stepping up controls on plants for import, on the basis of a preventative approach”, said the French representative.
Controls. The European Commission is planning Community funding for the controls, but takes the view that operators should also make their fair contribution to this. The EU countries are somewhat divided over the question of the financing of the controls. A number of countries take the view that the Commission has too much power, having reduced these authorisations from 600 to 163.
The first technical examination of the three proposals (controls, plant health, animal health) is now complete and the Greek Presidency has presented a number of compromise texts, which are currently being examined by the various working groups. The Italian Presidency will continue the work on these dossiers.
Seeds. In March of this year, the EP decided to reject the text on the plant reproductive material regime. The Greek Presidency wanted the delegations' position on the architecture of a new revised Commission proposal.
Use of antibiotics in stock rearing. Under any other business, the Swedish delegation, supported by Denmark, asked the Commission to report back on the implementation of the action plan to fight the spread of antibiotic resistance. In autumn 2011, the Commission launched an action plan comprising 12 concrete actions to eradicate the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. Pointing out that 25,000 people die every year due to antibiotic resistance, Borg said that the Commission would: - publish a report in the course of the year on progress with the roadmap (action plan); - adopt, before the end of October, legislation on veterinary medicines; - publish, by the end of 2014, guidelines on the careful use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine. (LC)