The negotiations on organic farming are entering the final straits. Technical meetings are taking place to facilitate the presentation of draft compromises for the last two interinstitutional trialogue meetings, scheduled for 3 May and 31 May.
MEPs on the European Parliament’s agriculture committee examined organic farming on Wednesday 12 April (see EUROPE 11756).
Martin Haüsling (Greens/EFA, Germany) confirmed that the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU was trying to get a slightly different negotiating mandate from the Council in order to finalise the negotiations with Parliament.
For polytunnel farming, Parliament’s delegation suggested granting derogations to six Northern countries (the Baltic States, Denmark, Sweden and Finland) to take account of their climate. The Council is reported to be in agreement on this issue, but solutions still need to be found for the proportion of products that have to come from normal usage.
Views seem to be growing closer on databases too, along with seeds and livestock.
When it comes to seeds, Parliament continues to call for rules on organic seeds. Häusling said the subject couldn’t be constantly put between brackets and hoped a solution would be found without having to wait for a new proposal from the European Commission on seeds.
For pesticide residue in organic food, the Council and Parliament do not want to define the threshold of non-authorised chemicals.
The current compromise foresees asking the Commission to draw up a report on contamination and provenance. The rapporteur insisted on a strengthening of precautionary measures to avoid contamination. The control of controls needs to be improved as a matter relating to the sector’s credibility, explained Martin Haüsling.
On the contrary, Herbert Dorfmann (EPP, Italy) called for a compromise to ensure the thresholds are respected, saying they should avoid handing this over to the member states and for things to remain as at present.
There would be no benefit in starting from scratch in the negotiations so a result has to be reached, resumed the rapporteur, who feels that a compromise is possible.
Amended mandate from the Council
At the 11 April meeting of the Special Agriculture Committee (CSA), the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU gave indications about the results of meetings to draw up the compromise text on organics that took place after the most recent trialogue on 22 March. The Maltese Presidency presented to EU experts possible draft compromises on various outstanding matters (unpackaged products, inspections, the end of derogations and databases). The Maltese Presidency is planning to transmit as many draft compromises as possible on other outstanding issues before the upcoming CSA on 24 April, in order to be in a good position to prepare for the trialogue of 3 May. The Maltese Presidency is hoping to obtain a revised mandate from the Council at the CSA on 24 May. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)