Brussels, 24/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - The agriculture ministers of the EU Member States will be discussing ways to improve the competitiveness of the agricultural sector during their informal meeting in Krems, Austria, on 28-30 May, which will also be attended by Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel. The theme was chosen by the Council President, Austrian Farm Minister Josef Pröll, for the working meeting on 30 May. The informal meeting will also provide an opportunity for ministers to discuss topical issues together, such as the planned reform of the wine sector (see EUROPE 9195 on reform options recommended by the Commission) and common market organisation (CMO) of fruit and vegetables. They are also expected to discuss developments in the Doha Round of talks.
On Monday, the ministers will visit the company, Waldland Vermarktungs, one of the largest groups for providing the pharmaceuticals industry with medicinal plants. In addition to the processing of plant and animal raw materials, the company manufactures flax and transforms diesel engines into plant-oil driven engines. MEP Agnes Schierhuber (EPP-ED, Austria) will welcome the ministers accompanied by the Waldland director.
On Tuesday, the working meeting will be devoted to the theme of competitiveness of European agriculture. According to the document of the Austrian EU Council Presidency, strengthened competitiveness requires: - strengthened research programmes (agronomy) to raise the economic, environmental and social challenges of the world markets; - adjustment of training strategies, programmes and projects; - improved advisory services allowing farmers to take decisions bearing in mind the economic, environmental and social requirements; - and strengthened competitiveness in agriculture and rural areas thanks to innovation.
Research and development: The document drawn up by Austria stresses that the initiative launched by the Dutch Presidency for enhancing cooperation in agricultural research has allowed the Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR) to assume a major role in the coordination of agricultural research by EU Member States and the European Commission. Ministers are invited to give their views on ways to network the results of Member States on research in order to allow the agricultural sector and rural areas to use this to best advantage swiftly.
Training: inquiry in 2000 in EU shows that 83% of farmers have exclusively practical farming experience. Only 9% have any basic training in agriculture and 8% have an indepth training in agriculture and forestry. “In the light of structural changes and social developments and the increased mobility of workers in rural areas, it is recognised throughout Europe that the existing package of training measures and further training opportunities in rural areas is no longer adequate”, the Austrian Presidency writes, noting that vocational training measures are foreseen in the rural development programmes to strengthen initiatives in this field. Ministers will above all discuss the possibilities of harmonising and supporting Member States's training strategies at European level in the fields of agriculture, forestry, food, rural development, renewable energies and the environment.
Advisory services: The task of advisory services is to assist farmers to solve problems and change processes to adjust to economic changes. With the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 2003, Member States were obliged to offer farm advisory systems but, at European level, there is no advisory structure for farmers. Ministers should therefore closely examine ways to strengthen cooperation at European level in this field.
Innovation and diversification: The Austrian presidency notes that, in order to improve economic performance and competitiveness, professionals in rural areas have begun to diversify their activities and open up more to other sectors. Thus, new kinds of work have opened up in the field of energy supply, production of raw materials for pharmaceutical and technological industries, and also for tourism. In the EU, innovation policies are mainly for companies and non-agricultural industrial sectors. In Krems, ministers will therefore be discussing the possibility of greater coordination at European level of Member States' innovation strategies in the field of agriculture and forestry, food production and rural areas.