Brussels, 14/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - EU agriculture and fisheries ministers are to meet from Tuesday 18 to Thursday 20 November above all to seek political agreement on three major issues: the “health check” of the CAP, the programme for the distribution of fruit and vegetables in schools, and review of measures for the recovery of cod stocks. Subjects relating to the common fisheries policy (CFP) will be covered on Tuesday 18 November (but the agreement on cod recovery is due late morning on Wednesday 19 November) and agriculture dossiers on Thursday 20 November.
Health check. During the morning of Tuesday 18 November, Michel Barnier and European Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel will be in Strasbourg to discuss the CAP health check with MEPs. European agriculture ministers will wait for the EP's opinion on Wednesday 19 November before entering into the heart of the negotiation. The most difficult subjects are: - the extent and nature of any increase in modulation rates (reduction of aid to the benefit of rural development); - whether or not to retain certain market management mechanisms as a genuine safety net (this above all concerns intervention on corn and dairy products); - the means of achieving a “soft landing” phasing out milk quotas and any accompanying measures, particularly in the most vulnerable areas; - and an ambitious simplification of the cross-compliance rules without diminishing their scope (payment of premiums on condition that certain criteria are respected). On the decoupling of aid, the final compromise should stipulate that aid still coupled to production should be totally decoupled by 2013 (except for suckler cow premiums and goat and sheepmeat), without a deadline imposed for achieving this objective. The Commission remains totally opposed to any deferral of total decoupling for tobacco.
School fruit scheme. The Council should reach a political agreement on the creation of programmes for the distribution of fruit in school. The text of the compromise presented in October by the French Presidency was generally welcomed. Ministers, however, must still give their stance on the €90 million annual budget proposed by the Commission. The Parliament should give its opinion on this dossier on Wednesday 19 November, around midday.
GMOs. The Council will be invited to adopt or reject, by qualified majority, a proposal for a decision concerning the marketing approval of products containing genetically modified soybean MON-89788-1, for the same usage as any other kind of soybean, with the exception of cultivation. If there is no qualified majority for or against the proposal, the decision will be up to the Commission.
Recovery of cod stocks. The Council will seek political agreement on a draft regulation revising the recovery plan for cod stocks. The following points remain outstanding: - geographical scope of the revised plan: the Commission suggests that the plan, which applies to several areas since 2004 (Kattegat, the Skagerrak, the North Sea, the Eastern Channel, the West of Scotland, the Irish Sea) should also cover the Celtic Sea. This extension is challenged by several countries (Belgium, Ireland, United Kingdom, Spain); - the rate of reduction in fishing mortality: the Commission's proposal (currently TACs are set every year by the Council at levels which correspond to reductions of fishing mortality of 25% for stocks below the minimum levels, 15% for stocks below the precautionary levels and 10% for stocks above the precautionary levels) is judged too brutal by most countries concerned (Denmark, United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands). For example, the Danish and British delegations recommend individual percentages per stock; - fishing effort limitation: the Commission proposes that the fishing effort be limited no longer by fishing days authorised (as is the case at present) but by ceilings expressed in kW/days, and by effort group (i.e. by category of fishing gear) and by member state. The political problem concerns the period of reference retained for the first year of application of the revised plan (the Commission suggests years 2005, 2006 and 2007) and the Commission project, which the Spanish in particular find displeasing, to freeze fishing effort in the Celtic Sea (this would mean a 20% decrease in fishing effort in Spain in this area compared to 2003); - reducing discards: the Commission proposes that quotas be calculated with deduction of discards, which is challenged by several countries; - and the obligation to weigh cod catches (flexibility is requested, such as a minimum weight after which weighing would be compulsory).
Norway. The Council will hold an exchange of views on the bilateral fishing agreement with Norway. The second round of negotiations is foreseen in Brussels from 24-28 November.
Baltic Sea cod. The Commission will brief the Council on the evaluation of the implementation of Poland's national action plans for the stock of Baltic Sea cod. (L.C./transl.jl)