The Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU said at the meeting of the special committee on agriculture (SCA) on Monday 15 May that it would submit a new consolidated text on the revision of organic farming rules (see EUROPE 11784). It hopes that it will be possible to conclude negotiations at the last scheduled trialogue meeting of the institutions on 31 May.
On Monday, the Maltese Presidency briefed the member states’ agricultural experts on the previous trialogue discussion on organic farming on 3 May at which very little progress was made.
To try to find a way out of the impasse on this issue, the Presidency told the delegations that it would submit a new consolidated text on Thursday 18 May with a view to obtaining a fresh Council mandate to try to come to agreement with the European Parliament at the last trialogue on 31 May.
The European Parliament delegation has submitted a document on seeds which seems to form a sound basis for discussion.
The proposed Article 20 of the text on the presence of unauthorised substances (pesticides) is believed to be acceptable to both the Parliament and the Council, although the Parliament has called for the removal of all references to “cocktails” (withdrawal of approval of product where several pesticides are present).
No agreement has yet been reached on growing crops under glass. Parliament would be prepared, under strict conditions, to grant exemptions to six northern European countries, given the climatic conditions they face. The issues of databases, derogations, unpackaged products, operators’ groups and checks remain to be settled. The goal of reaching agreement on 31 May looks ambitious.
At the same time, the working group charged with drafting compromise texts on organic farming would seem to have made progress. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)