The European agriculture and fisheries ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday 27 January to discuss ways of further simplifying certain rules of the common agricultural policy (CAP).
Czesław Siekierski, the Polish minister chairing the EU Council, will present the work programme for the next six months. The priorities, according to Warsaw, are food security, improving the competitiveness of agriculture and the agri-food sector, increasing resilience to crises, stabilising farmers’ income and strengthening the position of farmers in the food supply chain.
The ministers will hold an initial debate on legislative proposals (dated 10 December) aimed at strengthening the position of farmers in the agri-food supply chain: a proposal on cross-border enforcement against unfair trading practices and another providing for a targeted amendment to the regulation on the common market organisation (CMO). As far as the CMO is concerned, the subjects most likely to be debated are written contracts, mediation bodies and producer organisations, according to a senior European official.
In this context, Slovakia, supported by several countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia), will be calling for measures to better combat unfair trading practices and prevent the abuse of dominant positions by certain players in the food supply chain (https://aeur.eu/f/f7c ).
Simplification. The ministers will debate the necessary revision of the performance clearance procedure and the green architecture of the CAP (see EUROPE 13562/15). Simplifying the rules is one of the main priorities of the Polish presidency of the EU Council. Measures have been taken, but more needs to be done, according to a majority of Member States. The Polish presidency of the EU Council presented a note on this subject (https://aeur.eu/f/f86 ).
In addition, the agriculture ministers of 17 countries will be calling for measures to simplify the rules on organic farming (see EUROPE 13563/16).
Trade. The EU Council will take stock of free trade negotiations with third countries. Several delegations are expected to discuss the end of negotiations with the Mercosur countries and trade liberalisation with Ukraine. The Autonomous Trade Measures Regulation first entered into force on 4 June 2022 and was renewed for the following years on 6 June 2023 and 6 June 2024 respectively. The current measures will remain in force until 5 June 2025, and the European Commission is due to present its proposals on these measures shortly.
In addition, Luxembourg, supported by several countries (including Austria, France, Bulgaria and Spain), intends to take action on “import tolerances for residues of plant protection products regulated in the EU”. During a visit to Ireland on Thursday 23 January, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen reaffirmed the need for stricter controls on EU food imports. He said it was not right that food imported from third countries should contain residues of pesticides banned in the EU, according to the Irish media.
Fisheries. In a note (https://aeur.eu/f/f76 ), France, Spain and Italy call for changes to the multiannual plan for demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)