Brussels, 26/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - The EU 15 Council of Agriculture Ministers opened in Brussels on Monday at 15h00, under pressure from hundreds of farmers from Wallonia (Belgium) calling for direct European Union aid in response to the crisis on the beef and veal market, but without any certainty of winning their case. Commissioner Fischler explained to a delegation of stockfarming trade unions, received before the session, that the Community coffers were empty. He recalled the absolute need for the unanimous political commitment to be respected, a commitment taken by the fifteen Heads of State and Government in Nice, not to exceed the ceiling of financial perspectives of Common Agricultural Policy ("the Berlin ceiling").
Ministers began their work by noting a progress report by the Presidency on the examination of new food hygiene rules and the establishment of a European Food Agency, that would guarantee the Union's future food safety policy. No substantive discussion was held at this stage. Work will continue within the Council's working group, in order to smooth out the differences that remain, especially those regarding the complementary tasks that should be entrusted to this body and the arrangements for referral.
During the evening, ministers began their policy debate on the Commission's highly controversial action plan to resolve the beef crisis in the short and medium term. No decision was expected on this, certainly negotiable but on condition that alternative solutions respect the budgetary limits (see other article on the meeting of COPA and COGECA with the council president). A recall to reality that Commissioner Fischler did not miss sending out to all Member States and in particular Germany which is against the package as a whole. The lack of a consensus at the beginning of the debate led to Germany to suggest the creation of a very high-level group (Ministers) to engage in the debate on the substance of the reform of the CAP. Belgium, for its part, pleaded in favour of the issue being taken to the level of the Heads of government. France, for its part, did not despair of securing a political signal in favour of the granting of national aid to its farmers for lack of Community aid. EUROPE will return to the details. The policy debate on the package of new measures aimed at altering the common market organisation (CMO) of beef to reestablish a certain balance between demand and supply should, notably, focus of the "special purchase regime" that is to be voted on at the next meeting of the management committee, on Friday.