The agenda of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU in the field of agriculture, in the first half of 2022, focuses on environmental issues such as mirror clauses, pesticides, imported deforestation and carbon sequestration in soils.
Discussions will also take place at the Agriculture Council of the EU on the validation of the strategic plans of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the revision of the EU policy on geographical indications.
On 9 December 2021, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, presented the main themes of the French Presidency of the EU Council, which began on the 1 January 2022, citing in particular the issue of mirror clauses, pesticides and imported deforestation.
Sectoral mirror clauses. The French Presidency’s programme, published on the 1 January 2022, states that exchanges will take place in the EU Council on reciprocity of environmental and health production standards between European products and those imported from third countries, “so that imported products are subject to certain production requirements applied within the European Union whenever necessary to enhance health or environmental protection on the widest possible scale, in compliance with World Trade Organization rules” (‘mirror clauses’). This work will focus on the introduction of sectoral mirror clauses. The French Presidency is defending mirror clauses and environmental and social requirements in trade agreements, Mr Macron said.
France will start work on the regulation on combating imported deforestation, “which will be a significant step towards taking better account of the production standards of imported products”, the work programme stresses.
Special attention will be given to low-carbon agriculture and the issue of carbon sequestration in agricultural soils.
The French Presidency wants to promote initiatives to accelerate the agroecological transition and thus reduce the use of pesticides. It will initiate work on the revision of the directive on the sustainable use of phytopharmaceutical products compatible with sustainable development.
The organisation of the French Presidency will be marked by elections, firstly presidential (10 and 24 April 2022), then legislative (12 and 19 June), which will oblige the government to respect periods of electoral reserve.
The bulk of European events will therefore be concentrated at the beginning of the year. This will be the case for the traditional informal meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers, which will be held - not as usual in June, but from 7 to 8 February in Strasbourg - on the theme of carbon sequestration in agricultural soils. The European Commission presented proposals on 15 December.
The EU Agriculture Ministers’ Councils will be held in Brussels on 17-18 January, 20-21 February, 21-22 March, 7 April (in Luxembourg), and, if necessary, 23-24 May and 13-14 June (in Luxembourg).
To feed into the discussions at these meetings, a Commission proposal on the revision of the EU Directive on the sustainable use of pesticides is expected in the spring. Similarly, in early 2022, the Commission is expected to present a proposal revising the legislation on agricultural geographical indications.
In June, the Commission may also put forward its proposals for a revised EU agri-food promotion policy.
The French Presidency will also organise a ministerial conference on 7 March on antibiotic resistance.
As regards trade policy, a conference on European strategic autonomy will be held on 7 March to take stock of the health crisis on the vulnerability of European value chains and to discuss tools to fight unfair trade practices (anti-subsidy measures, reciprocity of standards, fight against economic coercion).
Finally, the French Presidency will encourage reflection on the strategy for the prevention and control of highly pathogenic avian influenza and the sharing of experience between Member States on animal welfare practices in livestock farming.
In the field of fisheries, France will focus its efforts on the revision of the Fisheries Control Regulation (see EUROPE 12852/9). It will also propose a political debate on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and its implementation.
Link to the programme of the French Presidency of the EU Council (in French): https://bit.ly/3HuDyrV (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)