Brussels, 17/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - EU agriculture ministers will meet in Brussels on Tuesday 17 May to take stock of the situation on agricultural markets and the state of play on simplification of the common agricultural policy (CAP). They will also discuss climate, animal welfare and international trade negotiations.
Agricultural markets. The Commission will update the Council on the latest developments on agriculture markets. Ministers are expected to repeat a number of their demands, such as, providing community funding to encourage farmers to turn to the measure on voluntarily reducing milk production (see EUROPE 11550). Several sources indicate, however, that there will be no new measures, at least before the Agriculture Council in June.
Simplifying the CAP. Commissioner Phil Hogan has made simplifying the CAP, and, in particular, re-assessing the greening of aid, his central priority. A fresh wave of texts relating to the common organisation of the markets (CMO) is expected to be adopted in the near future. Under Commission plans, the number of texts will be reduced from over 200 currently to around 40. Implementing and delegated acts on simplification and aligning national support programmes for the wine sector with the Treaty of Lisbon were adopted in 15 April and those covering fruit and vegetables will be adopted in the course of the summer. Implementing acts on import licences and public intervention were put to the vote on 27 April and will very shortly be adopted by the Commission. Thereafter will come the texts on harmonisation of price information rules and simplification of notification of the Commission by the member states. These are expected for this summer. Simplification of the rules on tariff quotas will be adopted after the summer break, then, in the autumn, the Commission will finalise harmonisation of rules on carcass classification.
The draft text on marketing standards has come in for some heavy criticism as, rather than simplifying, it makes the arrangements in place more complex, in the view of a number of delegations. Similarly, in the face of MEPs' unrest, the Commission has withdrawn its proposal on wine labelling and marketing standards.
Climate. Ministers will hold an exchange of views on the relation between agriculture and the climate (see EUROPE 11550).
Animal welfare. The Dutch Presidency has proposed that, as in February, ministers discuss the issue of animal welfare. The Presidency wants discussions to focus on the results of the Eurobarometer on animal welfare and the state of play of the establishment of an EU Platform on animal welfare.
International trade talks. In the “other business” section, ministers will have the opportunity to discuss the free-trade negotiations being conducted by the Commission, more specifically the transatlantic trade and investment partnership, or TTIP, (at the request of Austria) and protection of geographical indications.
Also in the other business section, the Council will take note of the outcome of the meeting of G7 agriculture ministers in Japan on 23-24 April. It will approve, without debate, the priorities of the EU and of its member states ahead of the meeting of G20 agriculture ministers in China on 3 June.
Other matters in the other business agenda are: - the crisis in the milk sector (at the request of Croatia); - the situation in commodity markets (at the request of the Czech Republic) following the meeting of the Visegrad group countries plus Austria, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia, in Prague, on 29 April; - recent severe damage to agricultural production due to late frost and snow (at the request of a number of delegations, including those of Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia); - the issue of foodstuffs being sold on the EU internal market under the same name but with differing ingredients and quality, depending on the member state (at the request of the Czech Republic).
At the request of Poland, ministers will discuss the effect on agriculture of revision of the directive on emissions ceilings for atmospheric pollutants.
Agriculture ministers will meet informally in Amsterdam on 30-31 May to discuss the future of the common agricultural policy. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)