Brussels, 18/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - EU agriculture and fisheries ministers will meet in Brussels from 19 to 21 December to set, in particular, fishing possibilities for next year. Among agricultural matters to be discussed on Tuesday 19 December are the reform of aid for banana producers, support for energy crops and new labelling and production rules for organic foodstuffs. On the same day, Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou, will fully inform Member States of Russia's threat to impose a ban on Community products of animal origin after the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, countries which, according to Moscow, cannot guarantee that their products are free from contamination.
Here is the detailed agenda for the Council, the last to be chaired by Finnish agriculture and forestry minister Juha Korkeaoja:
Fishing quotas: European fisheries ministers will try to reach political agreement on total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for EU vessels in 2007. No agreement is expected before the night of Wednesday 20 to Thursday 21 December. A first compromise text will be put forward in the morning of Tuesday 19 December. The most difficult issue is the strengthening of the cod recovery plan covering the North Sea, Irish Sea, West Scotland, East Channel and Skagerrak and Kattegat zones. The Commission is proposing a 25% reduction in catches and number of days at sea for vessels. For example, for trawlers targeting mainly cod (over 120 millimetres), the number of days will be reduced from the current 103 to 77 per year. Some countries, such as Denmark and Ireland, feel these restrictions to be too harsh. Other countries, like France, the United Kingdom and Germany, will try to get more favourable treatment in the form of exemptions on the number of days at sea for fleets fishing for species other than cod. Only Sweden, and, to a lesser extent, Germany and the United Kingdom, back the Commission approach in considerably reducing the number of days fishing for those vessels which target cod. The Commission is also proposing a reduction of over 30% in cod quotas in the Celtic Sea and the Channel. France, the United Kingdom and Ireland are calling for reductions not to exceed 15%. The Commission also proposes to reduce by 10% the number of days at sea for vessels affected by other recovery plans: sole in the West Channel (from 216 to 194 per year), and hake and langoustine from the Iberian Peninsula (from 240 to 216). In addition, the Commission also hopes to reach an agreement on a recovery plan for North Sea sole and plaice stocks at the start of the year. The measures in this plan are contested in particular by the Netherlands.
Another complicated matter is the dispute between France and Spain over anchovy in the Bay of Biscay. The European Commission is recommending (in similar fashion to last year) closure of this fishery in the first half of 2007. France is calling for last year's compromise to be renewed, this is for the authorisation of 500 tonnes of anchovy for itself (plus 500t through exchanges) and 4,500 tonnes for Spain. Spain, however, is more determined than ever to back the moratorium (last year it was unable to catch its full quota, unlike French vessels, and so as not to create problems between Basque and Galician fishermen.
As part of the preparation for the Council, Member States set out their priorities prior to negotiations: the United Kingdom: (no reductions in langoustine, haddock, herring and slight reductions in plaice); Spain (blue whiting, increases of over 15% for northern hake, status quo for megrim, horse mackerel, langoustine and monkfish); Denmark (Kattegat cod, herring, Norwegian pout, sole, langoustine and ling); France (anchovy, exemptions in cod plan for its northern fleet, rise of nearly 10% in langoustine in the Bay of Biscay, shark-finned mako not to be subject to a TAC, reduction in ling not to exceed 15%); Germany (North Sea herring, turbot, plaice); Portugal (renewal of horse mackerel, monkfish and langoustine TACs, increase in hake); the Netherlands (status quo in sole, lemon sole, turbot and brill in the North Sea); Ireland (herring, cod in the North Sea, blue whiting, renewal of current haddock and mackerel TACs); Belgium (sole); Poland and the Baltic countries (black halibut and northern prawn). Finally, ministers will attempt to find a political agreement on the provisional sharing out of the bluefin tuna TAC in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. A 50% reduction in the EU quota is planned buy the Commission to take account of the outcome of the meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) at the end of November (see EUROPE 9315). Some Member States, however, oppose this.
Banana: the Council is expected to adopt without discussion the reform of the Community aid scheme for banana producers (€280 million in programmes to help the EU's outermost regions, see EUROPE 9328).
Energy crops: the Council also adopted without debate the regulation to extend aid to eight new Member States of €45/ha for energy crops (a rise of 1.5 to 2 million ha in eligible Community area, EUROPE 9311). The text extends the Single Area Payment Scheme (SAPS) applied in these new Member States till 2010.
Organic productions: the presidency is seeking a “common approach” from the Council on labelling rules for organic products, despite the divergences on several subjects, such as labelling of organic products with accidental GMO traces, the obligatory Community logo and the inclusion of collective restoration in the regulation's field of application. An agreement will be confirmed on the strengthening of rules on imports of these products from third countries (the current regulation expires on 31 December).
Russia: Mr Kyprianou will discuss tense relations with Moscow in the veterinary and phytosanitary fields, following the visit of the Russian Head of health services to Brussels on 12 December. The threat of a Russian embargo (from 1 January 2007) on Community products remains serious. This country is calling for new guarantees following Bulgaria and Romania's accession to the EU.
Sugar: following the request from Austria and Germany, the Council will examine the sugar restructuring system (EUROPE 9326 and 9313). The Council will also adopt provisions, without debate, on integrating Bulgaria and Romania into this sector.
Animal welfare: the Czech Republic will be requesting clarifications in the perspective of the entry into force on 5 January 2007 of the 2005 regulation on animal protection during transport. (lc)