The EU agriculture ministers will be meeting in Luxembourg on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 October to discuss the consequences for agricultural markets of the war in Ukraine started by Russia.
Chaired by the Spanish minister Luis Planas, the EU Council will also debate the agricultural aspects of the proposed directive to combat food waste as well as crisis management.
The Ukrainian Minister for Agrarian Policy and Food, Mykola Solsky, will take part in the discussions on agricultural markets. Since the lifting of restrictions on Ukrainian grain, the situation has settled in recent weeks between Ukraine and the three countries that had unilaterally maintained their embargoes. Kyiv announced a “pause” in its trade disputes with Poland, Hungary and Slovakia after agreements were reached on the transit of grain. Ministers are invited to give their opinion on the tools provided for in the strategic plans of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to deal with market difficulties.
In a document on food security (see EUROPE 13274/26), Austria proposes a series of measures to facilitate trade with Ukraine (the expansion of transhipment and transport capacities to EU ports from the Danube, the monitoring of Ukrainian exports, etc.) and to protect the EU in the event of market disturbances (safeguard clauses for certain sensitive agricultural products).
The Czech delegation will present the results of the most recent meeting of the Visegrád group’s agriculture ministers (https://aeur.eu/f/96m ).
The majority of Member States are calling for the derogations granted for the use of set-aside land to be extended to 2024, and are expected to make further representations to European Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, who has so far refused to accede to their request.
The EU ministers will also be discussing the food aspects of the proposal to amend the waste framework directive. The text on the table proposes that Member States reduce the volume of food waste from shops, restaurants and households in the EU by 30% by 2030 compared with 2020. But no target has been set for the agricultural sector, which is subject to the vagaries of crops and is likely to use its waste as fertiliser or to produce biogas. The ministers will have to indicate what they consider to be the most appropriate tools for achieving the objectives of the proposal in terms of food waste.
At a time when the agricultural crisis reserve is proving to be increasingly inadequate in the face of a growing number of crises and climatic hazards, Croatia and Slovenia (supported by six other countries) are calling (https://aeur.eu/f/969 ) for a new approach that would enable Member States to direct financial aid towards those who need it most at any given time, in an efficient, rapid and flexible way, without unnecessary administrative and procedural restrictions. This support would be financed up to a maximum of 2% of the total existing envelope for national strategic plans. Member States would be able to provide additional national co-financing of up to 200%.
The Spanish Presidency of the Council will provide an update on the progress of discussions underway on the carbon removal proposal. In terms of agricultural aspects, Spain stresses in a document that discussions are underway on accounting for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (and not just absorption) through certain practices that could receive emission reduction certificates.
Another subject under debate is the establishment of a European carbon sequestration register no later than four years after the regulation comes into force. The Spanish Presidency hopes to reach a ‘general approach’ (political agreement) at the Environment Council on 18 December (https://aeur.eu/f/96a ).
The Polish delegation will also be discussing the impact of the EU Emissions Trading System on the agricultural sector (https://aeur.eu/f/96l ).
Finally, the Lithuanian delegation will talk about the future of organic farming (see EUROPE 13274/4). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)