Brussels, 18/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - European agriculture ministers are meeting on Monday, from 15.00 hrs., for their first Council of 2002, chaired by Miguel Arias Canete. As a Spanish official responsible for the issue considered, the meeting's agenda "will not be enthralling", especially as no decision is expected on the few issues to be broached, like the production of potato starch, rules applicable to the movement of pets, and what strategy to pursue in negotiations over veterinary agreements with third countries. In the most formal manner, Mr. Arias Canete will present his working programme in the field of agriculture, having already done this before the European Parliament, on his traditional rounds of European capitals, and at the meeting in Madrid with the College of Commissioners. Here are the main subjects on the Council's agenda:
Non-commercial movement of pets: Commissioner David Byrne will brief the Council on the state of progress on this amended regulatory proposal examined in the context of the co-decision procedure. This issue has been in deadlock for many months due to differences of views between countries on measures to provide for to prevent the transmission of rabies to pets. The majority of the delegations consider that sound identification and vaccination should be sufficient, whereas those countries that are old adepts of the tradition of "quarantine" (which no longer exists), the United Kingdom, Sweden and Ireland, are calling for additional guarantees like a control of the immunity response to vaccination. The Council should ask the heads of the veterinary services of Member States to pursue talks to break the deadlock over the issue. The Commission adopted an initial proposal on 19 September 2000, which was then amended and handed to the Council of 25 June to take account of the amendments Parliament adopted on first reading on 19 may 2001. The main change that the Commission adopted to its initial proposal was the introduction of provisions allowing for eight-year transitional periods in which dogs and cats would be identifiable either by clearly visible tattoos, or electronic identification.
Potato starch: the Council will have a policy debate on the Commission's proposal aimed at extending for a further three-year period, from 2002/2003 to 2004/2005, the current quotas in the potato starch sector (see EUROPE of 3 and 4 December, p.16). It has joined a report to this plan on developments in this production which emphasises that new measures could be taken following detailed examination of the recent opinion issued on the subject by the Court of Auditors and a study it itself commissioned, the results of which will be available next month. Preparatory debates that were held within a working group and more recently at the last Special Agriculture Committee (SAC), on Monday, highlighted two problems on which the Council is called to focus its work: - (1) the level of national annual quotas for the Member States concerned (Germany, the Netherlands, Northern France and Denmark are the main producers): Finland, Austria and Sweden are calling for an increase in their quotas; - (2) the duration of the extension of the scheme: whereas legislation in force provides for the setting of quotas for a period of three years, certain delegations (notably, Italy, Sweden, Spain) prefer a shorter period, while waiting for an in-depth evaluation of the report of the Court of Auditors and the study to come. Worth noting that Belgium and Portugal also have reservations on the legal three-year duration.
National aid to pig farmers in Portugal: the Council will examine the political aspects of a draft decision aimed at approving the aid that the Portuguese Government granted its pig farmers in 1994 (10 million euro) and 1998 (6.3 million euro). The Commission decided, in November 1999 and October 2000 respectively, that this aid contravened legislation in the common market and had asked the farmers to refund it. To "launder" this aid, the Council will have to rule through unanimity on the issue before 23 February (or three months following Portugal's request).
Veterinary agreements with third countries: the Council will examine the possibility of taking initiatives to enable implementation of agreements already concluded (New Zealand, United States) and to negotiate new ones (with countries of Latin America, like Chile).
In addition, as miscellaneous issues, The Greek Minister will brief ministers on the disastrous situation in which his country's breeding sector finds itself due to bad weather (it snowed on Crete), and his French colleague will recall the need to have a Commission report at hand on the comparison between provisions on the welfare of animals applicable in the Community and those applicable in third countries. Without debate, the Council will adopt its common position on the regulation setting up the European Food Authority, approving Parliament's amendments on second reading (adopted on 11 December 2001).