Brussels, 19/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - Monday's Agriculture Council in Brussels took note of the presentation by Commissioner Franz Fischler of the European Commission's discussion paper (which accompanies the note on the general framework for financing enlargement adopted at the end of January). Regarding the integration measures of the new Member States into the Common Agricultural Policy. No minister spoke after Fischler's oral expose, which demonstrates that, for the Spanish Presidency, one has, at this stage, to wait for the Commission's draft common positions. Council President Miguel Arias Canete simply said that a questionnaire would soon be handed to the Agriculture Ministers of Member States and candidate States to prepare the joint ministerial meeting of 19 March.
The European Agriculture Ministers, moreover, heard their Luxembourg colleague, Fernand Boden regarding the situation in the bee-keeping sector (see yesterday's EUROPE, p, 10). Mr. Boden was backed by ten delegations, some of which recommended the setting up of a common market organisation (Cmo) for honey.
Mr. Arias Canete said at the final press conference that the Commission "will have to make proposals to amend the Community regulation". For his part, Mr. Fischler rejected any idea of creating a Cmo, explaining that the situation in the sector had not to be depicted in such a "disastrous" manner: for many years, he explained, "the situation regarding revenue and marketing has remained very stable, and I do not believe that there would be any use of a Cmo for the honey sector, as some are asking for". He considered that it would even be "misplaced and counterproductive (….) at a time when we are trying to distance ourselves from Cmos". He rejected the principle of granting direct aid to beehives, because it would be more effective to use "more targeted measures" in the framework of rural development programmes (like Leader +).
It is possible to take marketing measures or promote certain types of honey that have a protection of origin, or keeping-stations, he stipulated. The Commissioner also recalled that the budget devoted to that sector had increased by 2.5 million euro in 2002.
Other decisions of Monday's Council:
Agriculture in the Aegean Sea: without debate, the Council adopted a regulation on specific measures for certain agricultural products of the minor islands of the Aegean Sea (for details, see the Commission's proposal in EUROPE of 16 February, p.14). This regulation aims at adapting measures for certain foodstuffs (dairy products, sugar, fruit and vegetables, beef and bee-keeping).
Undesirable products in animal feed: as it considered that it could not agree to all the amendments tabled by the European Parliament to its common position on undesirable substances and products in animal feed, the Council decided to refer the issue to the Conciliation Council, in compliance with the co-decision procedure provided for by the Treaty.