Agenda: vogelgriep, bescherming geografische indicatie landbouwproducten, duurzame ontwikkeling (en)

vrijdag 17 maart 2006

The Agriculture & Fisheries Council will meet in Brussels on Monday 20 March (starting at 11 a.m) under the Presidency of Mr Josef Pröll, Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, the Environment and Water Management of Austria.

Council will start with the avian flu and poultry market situation. The other Agriculture points will be dealt with afterwards. No fisheries points are on the agenda.

A press conference is scheduled before lunch.

The points on the agenda are:

Agriculture

Avian Influenza:

Commissioner Kyprianou will update Ministers on recent developments regarding Avian Influenza, and on measures adopted since the last Agriculture Council.

Poultry sector: Market situation and support measures

The Council will discuss the situation on the poultry market and Mrs Fischer Boel will inform the Council about measures taken so far to support the sector. Support measures under the current common market organisation for poultry and eggs are limited to export refunds. The Commission has encouraged Member States to develop national aid schemes to support farmers in difficulty and will examine such programmes rapidly and in a positive spirit. To take any additional market measures on an EU-wide basis, the Commission would require a political mandate from the Council.

Implementation of the reformed CAP and its future

The French Minister will present a memorandum on the implementation of the reformed Common Agriculture Policy and its future to the Council.

Agricultural quality products (PGI, PDO and TSG)

On 23 December, the European Commission has adopted two proposals to clarify and streamline rules for protected geographical indications (PGI), protected designations of origin (PDOs) and "traditional specialities guaranteed" (see IP/06/2, COM(2005) 698 and COM(2005) 694).

The key objective of the proposal on the protection geographical indications and designation of origin (PGIs and PDOs) was to bring EU legislation in line with a ruling by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body following complaints by the US and Australia. Therefore, the proposals aim particularly to open up the EU registration scheme to operators in third countries. In order to handle the growing number of applications (including those expected from third countries) procedures have been streamlined and the roles of Member States and the Commission clarified. An additional element is the proposal to require identification of the EU schemes on the label by use of either the PGI/PDO reference or the EU symbol. Similar changes are proposed to the EU system for registering traditional specialties guaranteed (TSG).

The Council is expected to adopt the two proposals.

Review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS)

On 13 December 2005, the Commission adopted a Communication on the review of the Sustainable Development Strategy, which was launched in 2001 (see IP/05/1582 and MEMO/05/477). The Strategy up to 2010 deals with six main challenges to sustainable development (climate change and clean energy; public health; social exclusion, demography and migration, management of natural resources; sustainable transport; global poverty and development challenges) and recommends a number of actions to be taken in these areas. The Strategy lists overriding objectives for each of the challenges and also includes quantitative and operational targets.

In order to coordinate the review of the Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) the Austrian Presidency decided to set up a "Friends of the Presidency" Group which has the task to ensure coherence in the Council's contribution based on contributions from different Council formations. The "Friends of the Presidency" Group has prepared questions which shall be addressed by all relevant Council formations starting with the "Environment" Council and the "Agriculture and Fisheries" Council in March. The questions relate to the level of ambition of the strategy, the contribution of each Council formation and to possible synergies with the Lisbon Strategy and to coherence between internal policies and international commitments.

The Presidency intends to adopt a single Sustainable Development Strategy at the June European Council in an annex to the conclusions of the European Council. The Presidency established a "Friends of the Presidency Group" to coordinate this process.

For more information on the EU Sustainable Development Strategy, see also on the internet at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/sustainable/index_en.htm

AOB

  • - 
    WTO Negotiations: Information on the state of play by Mrs Fischer Boel
  • - 
    Prefinancing of export refunds: Commission information
  • - 
    International Olive Oil

Meer over ...