Brussels, 01/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - The Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU, which took over on Friday 1 July, wants to put the focus in the second half of this year on measures to address the crisis in agriculture, organic farming, simplifying the rules of the common agricultural policy and the balance of power on the food supply chain.
The provisional timetable of Council meetings under Slovak presidency contains four meetings of agriculture and fisheries ministers. Slovak Agriculture Minister Gabriela Matecna has chosen the issue of unfair commercial practices for the informal ministerial meeting to be held in Bratislava on 11-13 September.
The Agriculture Council of 18 July will be devoted largely to the market situation, with the presentation, announced by Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan, of new proposals to restore balance to the milk and dairy market. The ministerial meeting in Luxembourg on 10 October will also look at the market situation and will hold an exchange of views on the keenly awaited Commission report on the milk package. Lastly, the report by the agricultural markets task force will be presented at the Agriculture Council on 14 November.
Simplification of the common agricultural policy (CAP), with regard to greening after one year of application, will be on the agenda of the 18 July meeting. On 12 December, too, ministers will discuss simplifying CAP rules. Ways of improving the position of farmers on the food chain are expected to be discussed at the July meeting, informed by the results of the expert conference in Bratislava on 30 June and I July. The Slovak Presidency wants ministers to be in a position to adopt conclusions on unfair trading practices on the food supply chain in December.
The Slovak Presidency, which will present its programme at the Agriculture Council on 18 July, also plans the following on its agenda: 10 October, presentation by the Commission of the impact assessment of concessions made in free-trade agreements and, on 14 November, agriculture and climate, research and innovation, the food chain and the digital single market, and forests.
Lastly, the final trialogue meetings under Slovak presidency are expected to allow negotiators from the three institutions to come to a compromise on revision of the production rules for organic products. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)