Landbouwministers staan achter 'health check' gemeenschappelijk landbouwbeleid (en)

Jaime Silva - Conselho da UE

The European Council of ministers for agriculture strongly welcomed the presentation of CAP's reform «Health Check», giving a clear sign of the opportunity of this exercise, at a moment when it was necessary to make a balance of the 2003 reform, so that errors could be corrected, measures could be adjusted and procedures could be simplified.

In the meeting held in Brussels on 26 and 27 November, chaired by Minister Jaime Silva, it became clear that it is not a deep reform but a an improvement effort by CAP, in the face of new challenges from the food and energy markets, climate changes and the preservation of environmental values. To make CAP simpler and more efficient are the great consensual objectives among agriculture ministers of the European Union.

What is at stake is the implementation of the Single Payment Regime, the suspension of aid, the simplification of rule implementation and the conditionality system, and reducing bureaucracy and farmers' and public administration's duties. But it is also important to discuss intervention mechanisms in the market and the abolition of the regime of dairy quotas as well as the systems of crisis management. Finally, the increase of compulsory modulation, the capping of aid and the transfer of money to rural development are also under discussion.

The Council stressed the need to make adjustments without jeopardising stability in policies to ensure that European farmers have the essential predictability to plan their investments. 

After this first approach, the debate continues with the Slovenian presidency, after which the Commission will present next spring's proposals. The Council intends to end the discussion during the French presidency, during the second semester of 2008.

PROGRESS IN THE WINE SECTOR REFORM

The wine sector reform made clear reforms in the European Council of agriculture ministers, where there was a will to make a commitment in the short term. During this Council, trilateral meetings were held in a positive atmosphere, among the presidency, the Commission and all the Member States.

Jaime Silva identified the political issues that must be at the centre of the debate in December, mentioning that in this reform it must be taken into account the guidelines of 2003's CAP reform and the decisions taken at the Summit of the Council of Ministers, concerning financial perspectives until 2013.

On the other hand, all reforms are made with budgetary neutrality. This must also be the principle applied to the wine reform. Thus, it should be within the framework of the existing financial envelope (1.3 billion euros) that solutions should be found, being also necessary to find a balance and to give Member States some leeway to use the available funds.

Finally, the «chaptalizaçao» (the addition of sugar) and the aid to new wines should also deserve the Council's political attention in December.

INTERVENTION MECHANISMS IN THE MARKET - GRAINS

The Commission presented a proposal to suspend import rights in grains, during the 2007/2008 campaign, justifying this measure with the fact that there has been a reduction in European production and an increase in consumption, for animal feeding as well as for energy, which caused a tension in demand and a significant rise in prices.

This measure follows the decision of the Council of Ministers to temporarily suspend the withdrawal of land during the grains campaign. 

On the other hand, the Commission announced that it would start a procedure to reintroduce restitutions to pork meat exports, since this sector has suffered a very negative impact in view of the economic situation concerning prices of animal food.

PORTUGAL INCREASES ITS POSSIBILITIES IN COD FISHING

The Council unanimously approved the Regulation that establishes a Recovery Plan for the blue fin tuna population in the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Atlantic Ocean.

The objective of this plan, which will last for fifteen years, is to create conditions to avoid over-fishing, a situation this type of tuna has been subjected to in the Mediterranean, and securing the conditions for its recovery.

The European Commission also presented the results achieved in the negotiation of fishing opportunities with Norway for 2008, through which Portugal will slightly increase its possibilities of cod fishing.

After the High Level International Conference on the Eradication of Illegal, Undeclared and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) in Lisbon, on 29 October, the presidency presented to the Council the approved Ministerial Declaration. In his turn, the European Commission presented to the Council the main elements that make up the legislative proposal recently adopted by the Commission during the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the EU.