Brussels, 11/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - In a debate on Monday 11 January, the European Parliament agriculture committee called on the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU to provide responses to concerns over the funding of the common agricultural policy (CAP), simplification of CAP rules and also on the markets that are going through some very difficult times.
Dutch Agriculture Minister Martijn van Dam set out the Presidency priorities for the first half of this year (see EUROPE 11460) for the committee members on Monday 11 January.
Agricultural markets. In response to a number of questions from MEPs, van Dam acknowledged that prices in the milk and pigmeat sectors were at “historically low” levels. The reasons for this are the Russian import ban and also overproduction. He said that the anti-crisis measures (a package worth €500 million) had to be allowed to produce their results. “We will continue to keep a close eye on market developments to see if any further measures are needed”, he said. The Commission is to report to the Council in June on the market situation and the impact of the measures taken, according to the Dutch timetable. Structural aspects will also have to be examined in a number of sectors, van Dam added.
Simplifying the CAP. There will be an exchange of views on simplifying CAP rules between Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan and the Parliament agriculture committee in Strasbourg on Monday 18 January. MEP Albert Dess (EPP, Germany) argued that farmers were finding difficulty with over complex greening rules. Van Dam acknowledged that inflexible rules on buffer zones could result in farmers missing out on available aid. The mid-term review in 2016 would allow it to be determined if the CAP targets had been achieved, he also stated.
Future of the CAP. This theme will be on the agenda of the informal meeting of agriculture ministers in the Netherlands in May. Some MEPs, such as Eric Andrieu (S&D, France), spoke a “persistent rumour” that the current CAP budget is under threat in the discussions on the mid-term review of the multi-annual financial framework for 2014-2020.
Organic. In response to questions, for example, from Paolo De Castro (S&D, Italy) and Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA, Germany), the Dutch minister indicated that the Presidency was hoping to secure an interinstitutional compromise in June on organic food production rules. “It would be wonderful if this were to happen and I'm hopeful”, he said.
Patents. Jan Huitema (ALDE, Netherlands) and others raised the sensitive issue of patents and plant breeding rights. This is a matter that is also of concern to the Dutch Presidency. “Let us beware of patenting inventions which are natural. Natural characteristics of certain plants, for example, should not be patented”, stated van Dam. He believes that a better balance has to be found between breeders' rights and patent law, and “we will discuss this during the period of our presidency”.
Van Dam also pointed out the priority issues, which are tackling food waste, antibiotic resistance (on which a conference will be held in Amsterdam at the start of February) and addressing climate change.
Clara Eugenia Aguilera Garcia (S&D, Spain) highlighted unfair practices and the minister pointed out that the Commission had set up a task force on the way in which the food supply chain is organised and on the pressure exerted on farmers. Farmers can sometimes find themselves in positions of weakness against big businesses, the minister said. The task force could be in a position by June to be able to submit a preliminary report, which will be discussed in Council. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)