Brussels, 19/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - At the opening of the Berlin Green Week on 19 January (one of the main international fairs devoted to food, agriculture and horticulture), Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said 2007 would be a year of delivery. She said that 2007 would be a decisive year for European agriculture with the reform of two important sectors, wine and fruit and vegetables, and a period of reflection on ways of improving how the Common Agricultural Policy works in the future. She also said that she hoped that, before the end of the year, the EU would adopt the fundamental reforms of the wine market and of the fruit and vegetable market. We need to move away from outdated forms of support to allow our producers to become more competitive and market-oriented,” she said.
Fruit and vegetables: Ms Fischer Boel confirmed that the adoption of proposals for the reform of the fresh and processed fruit and vegetable sector was expected on 24 January (see EUROPE 9347 for detailed examination of the proposals). “Fruit and vegetables are vital to promoting healthier eating. Our proposals will aim to strengthen growers, modernise the system of support, and encourage consumption, especially among the young. We will also take measures to boost organic production, which will be assisted further by the anticipated final agreement on the Organic Regulation (on new production rules and labelling of organic agricultural products) during the German Presidency,” she emphasised.
Wines: the Commission plans to adopt legislative proposals to amend support for the wine sector “before the summer”. “Our wines are the best in the world, but we are losing ground to the 'New World' wine producers. We need to win back markets, free up our producers to compete by removing some of the obstacles standing in their way,” she commented.
Simplification of the CAP: Ms Fischer Boel spoke of the recent initiatives in this area (action plan, single Common Market Organisation) and said she felt the next step would be to look at the system of cross compliance (environmental standards, animal welfare and food quality standards which farmers must respect before receiving direct aid). She said she was aware of farmers' concerns over the, sometimes complicated, way the system operates. The Commission will present a report on this matter before the Agriculture Council meeting in March.
CAP reform: proposals on the CAP health check will be unveiled in 2008, but the Commission will use 2007 to look in great detail at improvements that could be made. There will be no fundamental reform of the CAP. On the subject of the mid-term review of the EU budget, another major area for reform due to begin around 2008-2009, Ms Fischer Boel said simply that she was “committed to maintaining the current agricultural budget up to 2013, as agreed”. (lc)