The EU agriculture ministers will be meeting in Brussels on Monday 26 February to try to define ways of simplifying the rules of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and thus respond to the concerns of farmers, some of whom will be demonstrating in the European quarter to voice their anger.
The aim of this Agriculture Council would be to draw up a list of measures to be taken, which could come into force “in the next few weeks” according to a diplomatic source who spoke on Thursday 22 February.
The Belgian Presidency of the EU Council has compiled in a document - https://aeur.eu/f/ay3 - the suggestions made by the Member States, which will reformulate their requests on Monday, some of which may require amendments to the basic CAP acts (see EUROPE 13355/10). The aim is also to address more structural (longer-term) issues than the need to simplify the CAP, added this source, referring to the establishment of a roadmap for this purpose. The measures to be taken in the context of the crisis will be on the agenda of the next Agriculture Councils.
Farmers are complaining about the excessive administrative burden, and EU countries are determined to find solutions, according to a diplomatic source. The ministers’ debate on the subject will not be public.
On Thursday, the European Commission presented a working document on possible simplification measures, which will be put to the Council on Monday (see other news).
A few other points will be dealt with at the same time as the general debate on the agricultural crisis: GAEC 7 and 8 (information provided by the Romanian delegation), agriculture, CAP and food sovereignty in the EU (the Italian delegation’s topic) and the challenges facing farmers (Slovak delegation).
In addition, the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council is trying to bring the EU countries to a compromise on the proposal governing new genomic techniques, but there is no certainty that this will be achieved, as the delegations are divided (see EUROPE 13348/12). It notes the Commission’s decision to withdraw the proposal on the sustainable use of pesticides (see EUROPE 13344/10).
The Belgian minister, David Clarinval, who chairs the Council, will summarise the conclusions of the ministerial conference on ‘biosecurity and vaccination: essential tools in prevention, control and eradication of animal diseases’ - https://aeur.eu/f/ay1- held on 24 January in Brussels.
With regard to fisheries, Denmark will bring up the negative effects on its fleet of the unilateral fisheries management measures introduced by the United Kingdom (see other news). The European Commission will provide information on the mandatory use of the CATCH digital system to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (see EUROPE 13310/19). The Commission has prepared a note on the subject (https://aeur.eu/f/ay2 ). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)