Brussels, 17/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Agriculture Ministers will dedicate the whole of next Monday afternoon to the situation over bovine spongiform encephalopathy and food safety, before broaching several other issues, including the WTO agricultural negotiations. The Council should end in the night time with the adoption of the reform of the CMO for fruits and vegetables. Below is the programme:
- Latest development in BSE crisis. On request from the European Commission, the Council will try to reach guidelines on the latest proposals from the Community executive concerning (1) the systematisation of the screening tests for animals presenting symptoms and thus separated from the food chain at the time of their arrival in the abattoir and (2) the introduction, on 1 July 2001, of tests in all the abattoirs on all animals born before 1998 and aimed for human consumption. These measures (see EUROPE of 17 November, p.15) aim to obtain more complete information on the incidence of the disease across the European Union, while seeking to re-establish consumer confidence. Several Member States are reticent to apply such measures due to their cost, and three countries (Austria, Finland and Sweden) having been classed by the Standing Veterinary Committee as not presenting any cases of BSE, do not see why they should apply these measures. A compromise proposal could be based on a progressive enforcement of these systematic tests starting with the older animals. In the light of the guidelines reached by the Council, the Standing Veterinary Committee should examine the proposal that will be submitted to it next 22 November. The French delegation will present the measure that have just been adopted at the national level: extension of the list of specific risk materials and withdrawal of animal meals. The Minister Jean Glavany should also return to the French demand for the adoption of a "protein plan", all the more important today as the removal of meat meal requires the replacement with vegetable meals. The production of oil seed being limited by the Blair House agreements that will have to be renegotiated, this plan could as a priority cover the oil seeds for which there does not exist any limitation within the WTO. The measure for the private storage of 120,000 tonnes, introduced by the Commission management committee, and other market measures should also be raised, notably by France which wants Community aid following the collapse of the beef market. The Council could also cover national measures adopted by Spain and Austria and considered by Italy with regards to French bovine products.
- Food safety. The Council will have, from 16pm to 18pm, a public debate on food safety and the future European Food Safety Authority. The discussion will concentrate on two questions: (1) the implementation of the general principals of food law (scientific basis, traceability, transparency, precautionary principal, etc) as proposed by the Commission will they contribute to a more effective management of health risks?, (2) what role should play the future Authority in cases of crisis, in particular those of the BSE type?
- Animal feeds and undesirable substances checks. The Council should adopt (the draft has been the object of a consensus in the Coreper) its "common position" on the modification of two Directives from 1995 and 1999 concerning the organisation of official checks on the field of animal foodstuffs. The aim is to improve the effectiveness of checks by: the implementation in each Member State of operations intervention plan for tackle the emergencies linked to the detection of serious risks; - a safeguard clause enabling the Commission to take protective measures; - the establishing at the Community level of an information system relating to risks that stem from animal feeds.
- Marketing of vine plants. The Council will examine the proposed Directive that aims to guarantee the free movement of materials for the vegetative propagation of the vine, including those having been the object of genetic modification. Last 24 October, the European Parliament approves this proposal with some amendments (see EUROPE of 26 October, p.14).
- Sheep bluetongue fever. The Council should reach an agreement on the Commission proposal that aims the establish specific measures to fight against sheep bluetongue fever. Since the last quarter of 1998, this viral disease, transmitted by insects, has progressively taken hold over the EU and more specifically in the Greek Islands in the South East Aegean, in Sardinia, the Balearic Islands and Corsica.
- WTO agricultural negotiations. The Council should adopt, without any significant debate, the EU position text in view of the WTO agricultural negotiations. This text envisages to use the same approach for issue of access to markets as that agreed upon during the Uruguay Round.
The Community must notably insist on: - the protection of geographic denominations and designation of origin ("appellation d'origin"); - the establishment of a code of conduct with regards to the food aid operations; - the banning of unfair trade practices; - the multifunctional role of agriculture, with the protection of the environment and the maintaining of vitality in rural areas; - food safety; - special and differentiated treatment in favour of developing countries.
- Reform of CMO for fruit and vegetables. Following the previous debate in the Council (see EUROPE of 25 October, p.7) and the opinion from the European Parliament (see bulletin of 28 October, p.13), the French Presidency hopes to close the dossier on the reform of the Common Market Organisation in the fruit and vegetable sector. A compromise could be reached in the night after one or two session of bilateral meetings. The main points of discussion remain: (1) the ceiling for the intervention of operational funds, (2) the ceilings for national transformation and (3) the level of aid.
The professional agricultural organisation COPA and COGECA have announced a demonstration of several thousand fruit and vegetable producers who challenge the Commission proposals and call for the reinforcing of aid and offer management mechanisms to resolve the economic and structural crisis.
