Brussels, 25/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - The first Agriculture Council of the year 2000 concluded on Monday evening after making real progress on the issue of beef labelling, which must be brought to conclusion under the codecision procedure with the European Parliament before 1 September next. At the final press conference, Portuguese Council President Luis Capoulas Santos voiced satisfaction with this first debate, which offered an opportunity to "put together very useful information that will enable us to move forward quickly". He said the debate revealed virtual consensus on traceability and a "majority in favour of letting consumers know where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered". Mr Capoulas Santos welcomed the consensus on the necessity of organising this labelling process swiftly.
Commissioner David Byrne took advantage of the press conference to welcome the Agriculture Ministers' very favourable reaction to his White Paper on food safety: all the Ministers praised the quality of the proposal and the speed with which the Commission worked, expressing their will to cooperate very closely with the Executive on this issue.
During the survey of views on the White Paper, Finland's Minister suggested that his country be chosen as the location for the headquarters of the future food safety agency, a suggestion that received the support of Sweden. Austria expressed the view that the agency should be located in one of the Member States that joined the EU during the latest accession and has demonstrated its interest in a high level of consumer protection in the food sector. Commissioner Byrne said he was expecting considerable competition on the question of the seat of this agency in the coming months.
Progress on beef labelling
The first debate at ministerial level revealed unanimity on traceability involving an identification code for beef and another code for the slaughterhouse. In contrast, a majority could not be built on three other elements proposed by the Commission (category of animal, date of slaughter and minimum period of maturation after slaughter). The Ministers, virtually unanimous in recognising the necessity of identifying where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered, remain opposed to identification of the place of boning, also proposed by the Commission. Almost all favour mention of the Member State of origin on the label, when the animal is born and has been fattened and slaughtered in this same Member State. Positions diverge on what course to take when these events take place in different States: France, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Germany support indication of all Member States concerned, while others, of which Italy and Ireland, prefer simply "EEC origin". A majority of delegations favours a two-phase introduction: 1 September 2000 for identification of the animal and the place of slaughter, 2003 for additional information on the place of birth and fattening.
Identification of pig farms and animal movements is on track
The Council adopted by qualified majority its common position on modification of the 1964 directive on veterinary inspection in intra-Community trade in bovine and porcine animals. This modification concerns the identification of pig farms and registration of animals and their movements in a computerised data base (this system has been in force for bovine animals since 1 January of this year). The common position provides for the identification of pig farms as from 31 December 2000 and of animal movements from the place of birth by 31 December 2002 at the latest. All movements of pigs will be recorded in the data base.
Germany and Austria voted against introduction of this system, which they find too costly. The Netherlands also voted against, but for a different reason: it would have liked immediate introduction of a full system rather than the calendar decided on by the Council. Greece waived its reservation once the Commission agreed to examine the particular difficulties this country will experience setting up this system for both bovine and porcine animals.
The Council also took a number of decisions concerning the following.