Brussels, 16/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - European Union agriculture ministers, meeting in Brussels from 11.00am on Monday 19 May, are expected to reach political agreement on new rules for the marketing of plant protection products (“pesticides regulation”). The Council, which will be chaired by Slovenian Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Food Iztok Jarc, will be updated by Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel on the latest state of play in WTO trade liberalisation talks in Geneva. There will also be discussion of the development of agricultural and food prices.
Over lunch, ministers will exchange views on the contribution of research to helping EU agriculture adapt to climate change. Fischer Boel and Research Commissioner Janez Potoènik will take part in the discussions.
Pesticides regulation. It is expected that political agreement will be reached in these public deliberations with a view to adopting a common position on the marketing of plant protection products. Parliament delivered its first reading opinion on 23 October 2007 (see EUROPE 9529 for details). The main outstanding policy issues are as follows. (1) The operation of the mutual recognition system. To please the countries that are leading the way in reducing harmful substances (Denmark and Sweden, in particular), in the compromise text, the Slovenian Presidency has provided for the possibility of those member states, which wish, being able to call for “exceptional derogations”. This would allow countries to put a ban, subject to certain conditions, on substances even though they have been authorised by a member state in the same geographical area. To take account of the resistance shown by some countries (including France and Spain) to these arrangements, the latest compromise text contains a rendezvous clause, requiring the operation of mutual recognition and, especially, of exceptional derogations to be evaluated five years after the regulation comes into force. The evaluation report could contain legislative proposals to correct any possible flaws that are identified. (2) The criteria for approving active substances (balancing public health protection and plant health protection). Several countries (including the Scandinavian countries) oppose an approach which allows certain plant health products to be kept on the market. In its amended proposal (drawn up after the European Parliament first reading), the Commission recommended banning products that were carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction. Several countries (including the United Kingdom and Germany), however, demanded more flexibility. As a compromise, the Slovenian Presidency finally suggested re-introducing carcinogenic products and those which caused reproductive disorders among the substances which are to be withdrawn from the market as son as a viable alternative is found. (3) Appropriate data protection with regard to studies necessary for the renewal of an authorisation, without hampering competition or market access, especially for small enterprises (Article 56).
Doha Round. Commissioner Fischer Boel will bring the Council up to date on developments in WTO Doha Round negotiations. At a meeting, on 9 May, of the WTO agriculture negotiations committee, which he was chairing, New Zealand Ambassador Crawford Falconer announced his intention to bring forward a revised draft compromise on the modalities for agricultural trade liberalisation on Friday 16 May (or more likely at the start of the week of 19 May).
Agricultural market situation. With regard to the latest evolution of agricultural and food prices, the Council will have the opportunity to reflect on various factors that influence the capacity of agriculture to provide a sufficient supply of food. A European Commission communication analysing the recent rise in food prices is likely to be adopted on Tuesday 20 May (at the same time as the legislative proposals on the common agricultural policy health check). This document will be considered by the European Council of 19-20 June (see EUROPE 9660).
Other points. The Council will be briefed by the Romanian delegation on the reflection on small farm scale. Lithuania will raise the situation of the milk market for member states which export a large part of their milk production to third countries (the Latvian delegation will also present its position in this issue). The Council will take note of the concerns raised by some delegations over the implementation of the legislation on the fruit and vegetable sector with regard to marketing standards. Finally, the Czech Republic will set out its concerns about the planned review of the Commission legislation on state aid “block exemptions” (exempting certain types of state aid from the requirement of prior notification and Commission approval). (L.C.)