The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mrs Caroline Spelman)
The next Agriculture and Fisheries Council is on 19 and 20 March in Brussels. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Richard Benyon) responsible for natural environment and fisheries will represent the UK on 19 March covering fisheries business. My right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will represent the UK on 20 March covering the agriculture items. Richard Lochead MSP and Alun Davies AM will also attend.
On 19 March the Council will be discussing four fisheries items; the common fisheries policy (questions on discards policy), the organisation of markets in fishery and aquaculture products, the Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the external dimension of the common fisheries policy.
On 20 March the main item will a debate on the simplification of the CAP plus a number of any other business points.
On 20 March the presidency has invited Agriculture Ministers to an informal working lunch on CAP reform to discuss the criteria for the distribution of pillar 1 and pillar 2 funds.