Brussels, 30/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - In a speech in Rome on Friday 27 June, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Assocarni (Associazione Nazionale Industria e Commercio Carni e Bestiame), Mariann Fischer Boel said that in 2008, "the European beef sector is not as big as it has been previously, but it is in good health. And well balanced". The European commissioner for agriculture also gave clarifications on the proposals in the health check of the common agriculture policy (CAP) as regards premiums for cattle farmers.
The beef sector in the EU is healthy and here is the proof: in 2008, the EU budgeted just €37 million on export refunds for beef meat and €24 million for other measures. And of course, public beef stocks have been at a level of zero since spring 2004.
According to Mariann Fischer Boel, this is a "good starting point for the future". In 1984, the EU was a net exporter of beef, but had to rely on major market management instruments (€1.4 billion in export refunds and €800 million on intervention in the year 1984 alone).
The commissioner also reiterated the need to resolve the problem of restrictions on imports of Brazilian beef into the EU. Fewer than 100 Brazilian farms are authorised to sell meat in the EU, due to problems of traceability. "This has caused serious supply problems for sections of our beef processing industry", the commissioner noted.
On the subject of talks at the WTO on the Doha Round, the EU has a balanced view: "We accept a certain increase in access to the market, but we wish to place beef in the category of sensitive products".
Having sung the praises of the decoupling of aid (removing the link between the subsidy and the volume produced), the commissioner admitted that during the CAP health check, sufficient account must be taken of specific concerns within certain sectors and certain regions. The Commission has proposed a gradual approach to four subsidies which are currently partially coupled in certain member states: for the slaughter premium for young animals, the slaughter premium for adult animals and the special premium for male bovines, decoupling of aid will affect 75% of aid from 2010 and 100% from 2012. As regards the suckler cow premium, the Commission will give the member states the option of keeping this aid fully linked to volumes produced. (L.C./trans.fl)