On Monday 24 July, at Austria’s initiative, the EU agriculture ministers sent a letter to the current President of the EU Council, Spanish Minister Luis Planas, calling for the powers of the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) to be maintained when preparing decisions for the Agriculture Council.
“The policy goals of the Common agricultural policy (CAP) as enshrined in the treaties have only gained in importance”, according to the signatories of the letter.
It should be remembered that the CAP contributes to food supply and to achieving the environmental and climate objectives set out in the ‘European Green Deal’.
This letter comes after ongoing discussions on the EU Council’s working methods. It is against this backdrop that EU agriculture ministers are indicating that any agreed changes should not affect the status of the SCA, explains an EU source.
“Over its 63-years-old history, the SCA has continuously demonstrated its relevance and worth, not only as a political body, but also as a first-rate group of technical experts capable of making quick and informed decisions. This was the case, for example, during the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s war against Ukraine”, argue the European ministers.
The Member States have confirmed on several occasions (in 2020 and 2021) their decision to retain the essential role and competence of the SCA, each time that the working methods of the EU Council and its preparatory bodies have been discussed, the letter points out.
The agriculture ministers insist on the need to respect the essential role and competence of the SCA in preparing CAP issues for the Agriculture Council.
Link to the letter from EU ministers: https://aeur.eu/f/893 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)