Brussels, 03/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - GMO and organic farming are the two thoroughly political agricultural subjects of the programme of the Luxembourg Presidency for the second half of this year. For the remainder, it will mainly be largely technical dossiers which will occupy the member states and the European Parliament: the programme for the distribution of milk and fruit in schools, animal and plant health.
“Promoting a sustainable development approach”: it is under this chapter that Luxembourg, which took up the Presidency of the EU on 1 July, is presenting its priorities in the field of agriculture for the second half of this year. Climate and agriculture will also be the subject of the informal meeting of the ministers in September, whilst the work of the three sessions of the Council will be devoted to subjects such as GMO, the simplification of the common agriculture policy (CAP) and animal and plant health. The Presidency also intends to conclude negotiations underway on organic production.
Luxembourg's programme will be presented at the Agriculture Council of 13 July. Also on the agenda of this meeting will be the communication of the European Commission on the re-examination of the decision-making processes for GMO and the proposal allowing the member states the possibility to restrict or ban on their territory the use of genetically modified food and animal feed, and the plans to combine and adapt the programmes for the distribution of milk, fruit and vegetables in schools. Under 'any other business', July's Council will discuss the situation of the dairy product market, the future of the sugar market and, more generally, the development of the markets, including the Russian ban on agri-food products of the EU.
The agriculture ministers of the EU will meet on 14 and 15 September in Clervaux, Luxembourg, for their traditional informal meeting, which the Presidency is devoting to the subject “climate and agriculture”.
Their session to be held in Luxembourg on 22 and 23 October may be given over mainly to the fisheries dossier, but also international trade issues.
The Council of 16 and 17 November will focus on the simplification of the CAP, on land-use change in the framework of the climate and energy action programme 2030 and the 'animal and plant health' package, of which the controls plank could be the subject of political agreement.
At their session of 14 and 15 December, the agriculture ministers are expected to revisit the 'health' package (medicated foodstuff for animals, veterinary medicine), but also the proposal on GMO. Lastly, the Luxembourg Presidency of the EU hopes to “conclude” the negotiations on the rules on organic production. (Lionel Changeur)