The European Union’s Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday 26 September to discuss the agricultural situation in Ukraine and the controversial legislation on reducing the use of pesticides.
The Ministers will discuss the situation in Ukraine with regard to agricultural production and logistics and the implementation of transport routes for products to the EU and beyond. During this discussion, the Ukrainian Minister of Agriculture, Mykola Solskyi, will participate in the debates.
In 2021/2022, Ukraine has achieved a record harvest of 108 million tonnes of grain and oilseeds, but due to the war, the grain harvest has decreased by 26.6% compared to last year. Considering that Ukraine exports more than half of its production, it still has to export about 13 million tonnes of last year’s crop. The partial reopening of Ukrainian ports will be welcomed by EU Ministers (grain prices have fallen slightly over the summer). The ‘solidarity lanes’ for transporting Ukrainian goods are working, but could be improved, an EU source acknowledged on Thursday 22 September.
Sustainable use of pesticides. At the request of the Polish delegation, and with the support of the Austrian, Bulgarian, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Maltese, Romanian, Slovenian, and Slovakian delegations, the Ministers will discuss the proposal on the sustainable use of pesticides. Several of these countries consider the proposal’s targets to reduce the use of these products by 50% by 2030 to be too ambitious (see EUROPE 12995/11).
Hungary put forward a counter-proposal at the EU Council Working Group on Pesticides on 12-13 September. The aim is to change the method of calculating national targets for reducing pesticide use. Hungary proposes to keep the 50% reduction target by 2030, but to focus on intensity of use. The Hungarian proposal is said to be supported by several countries (Baltic and Central and Eastern European States).
The dossier could soon be put forward to the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU (Coreper) to establish ‘guidelines’ for further negotiations on the pesticides proposal. The Czech Presidency of the EU Council plans to present a progress report on the dossier by the end of 2022.
The Ministers will react (https://aeur.eu/f/380 ) to the proposed Directive on industrial emissions and its impact on the agricultural sector in the Member States (this is a matter for the Environment Council).
Overall, Ministers should underline their concerns regarding the inclusion of agricultural production at the same level as industrial production in terms of emissions, as well as the current livestock unit threshold and the scope of the Directive.
Food labelling. During their working lunch, the Ministers will discuss the current rules on food labelling in the EU and whether they need to be strengthened. This discussion will take place before the revision of the Regulation on Food Information to Consumers (FIC), expected later this year.
Large carnivores. On behalf of the Austrian delegation, and with the support of the Croatian, Finnish, Hungarian, Latvian, Romanian and Slovakian delegations (https://aeur.eu/f/381 ), the Ministers will exchange views on the rise of large carnivores in Europe and the challenges they pose for the agricultural sector, following numerous attacks on flocks by wolves and bears.
In addition, at the initiative of Lithuania and with the support of the Estonian and Latvian delegations, the Ministers will discuss the maintenance of permanent grasslands and the need to take into account the changing situation of the agricultural sector in the Member States (https://aeur.eu/f/37w ).
Fisheries. EU Ministers will exchange views on the management of fish stocks shared with the UK in 2023, as part of the regular annual cycle of consultations on fishing opportunities that will culminate in December. After Brexit, the UK and the EU must hold annual consultations to determine the total allowable catches (TACs) for each fish species. Ministers will also discuss the annual consultations with Norway, which have undergone significant changes since Brexit. Finally, they will discuss the annual consultations with coastal States (especially on the management of mackerel stocks).
The Ministers will discuss the current situation of eel stocks and the future management of the European eel stock, which has experienced a worrying decline (https://aeur.eu/f/37v ).
Finally, on behalf of the French, Irish and Spanish delegations, they will discuss the protection and conservation of vulnerable marine ecosystems and Europe’s natural marine legacy. They should address the sensitive issue of bottom gears, in the context of the need to reconcile the sustainable protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems with the sustainability of the fisheries sector (see EUROPE 13022/13). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)