The Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council, which has included agriculture on its list of priorities for the period from1 July to 31 December, intends to focus on preparing proposals for the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and on measures related to the crisis in the sector.
The informal meeting of European agriculture ministers will take place from 8 to 10 September in the Hungarian capital, Budapest.
In its programme, the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council proposes to take “a firm stance at international level” on the principle of reciprocity in the standards applied to imported agricultural products.
“In the semester ahead, the Hungarian Presidency will encourage the Agriculture and Fisheries Council to take advantage of the institutional transition period and guide the new Commission in formulating the rules of the Union’s post-2027 agricultural policy”, Hungary’s programme also states.
The Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council will present its work programme to the EU ‘Agriculture’ Council on 15 July.
According to the provisional agenda for the EU Council meetings under the Hungarian Presidency (https://aeur.eu/f/cw7 ), a discussion is also planned on generational renewal in rural areas.
On 23 September, the Member States are due to take stock of the second year of implementation of the CAP strategic plans.
At the EU Council meeting on 21 and 22 October in Luxembourg, the first debate is due to take place on the Commission’s proposal to amend the regulation on the common market organisation (CMO). The EU agriculture ministers are also expected to exchange views on the challenges facing the EU food chain. The adoption of conclusions on the future of the CAP and the approval of a ‘general approach’ (common position) on forest reproductive material are also hoped for on this occasion.
On 18 November, the Commission is due to present a report on the implementation of the ‘protein’ strategy.
The traditional exchanges on the situation of agricultural markets (September and November) and trade-related agricultural issues (July and October) should be a common thread.
The EU ‘Agriculture’ Council in December (9 and 10) should enable the ministers to take stock of the progress made on a number of current legislative texts (animal welfare, unfair trading practices, COM, seeds). Finally, the ministers are expected to hold a policy debate on future opportunities for the bioeconomy.
It is difficult to say at this stage whether the Hungarian Presidency will resume work on new genomic techniques (see EUROPE 13440/22). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)