The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU plans to present a progress report on the sensitive issue of the sustainable use of pesticides at the EU Council meeting on 26-27 June, according to the provisional schedule of meetings in the first half of 2023.
The Swedish Presidency also plans to hold a political debate on new genome editing techniques at the last EU Council meeting in the first half of 2023. In the area of fisheries, important discussions will take place under the Swedish Presidency, including on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
Agriculture. The revision of the nutrition labelling legislation is also a priority for Sweden.
On the regulation on the sustainable use of pesticides, the Swedish Presidency is playing it safe and simply plans to help make progress on this issue (see EUROPE 13087/7). On the food security front, Sweden has scheduled debates at each EU Council on the development of agricultural markets due to the effects of the war in Ukraine triggered by Russia. The Commission has just presented a study on food safety that will feed into the ministers’ discussions (see EUROPE 13092/4).
At the EU ‘Agriculture’ Council on 30 January, the Commission will also address the agricultural aspects of the revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive, a proposal that has been strongly criticised by EU agriculture ministers (see EUROPE 13050/12).
At the EU Council on 27 February, the Commission will report on the agricultural aspects of the regulation on the certification of carbon removals and on the review of the EU forest governance framework.
At the Agriculture Council of the EU on 20 March, the Commission is expected to present a study on the Union’s situation and options regarding ‘the introduction, evaluation, production, marketing and use of invertebrate biological control agents within the territory of the Union’.
On the agenda of the EU Council on 25 April are the adoption of EU Council conclusions on the opportunities of the bioeconomy in the light of current challenges, a progress report on the strategic plans implementing the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the presentation by the Commission of a document on marketing standards.
On 30 May, EU agriculture ministers will debate the regulation amending the Plant Health Law (Regulation 2016/2031 on protective measures against pests of plants).
The EU Council on 26-27 June will be relatively busy, with discussions on pesticides (progress report), the regulation on plants produced by certain new genomic techniques and the regulation on plant and forest reproductive material.
Two other dossiers are expected to be discussed: the legislative proposals on food information for consumers and on geographical indications (see EUROPE 13082/18).
Fisheries. On 30 January, the Commission is expected to present its action plan on marine ecosystems, and on 27 February, ministers will hear the Commission’s report on the CFP, including the report on the common market organisation (with possible EU Council conclusions at the 26-27 June meeting) and the action plan on energy efficiency and decarbonisation in the fisheries and aquaculture sector (see EUROPE 13067/4). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)