Agriculture and Fisheries Council

Monday 14th December 2015 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Elizabeth Truss)]

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council will take place on 14 December in Brussels. The Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Camborne and Redruth (George Eustice) who is responsible for Farming, Food and the Marine Environment, will represent the UK.

As the provisional agenda stands, the following items will be discussed:

The primary focus will be the agreement of the Council regulation fixing the 2016 fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in EU waters and, for Union vessels, in certain non-Union waters, as well as a proposal fixing the 2016 fishing opportunities in the Black Sea.

There will be a proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the manufacture, placing on the market and use of medicated feed and veterinary medicinal products.

An exchange of views on Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the Bioeconomy will also take place.

There are currently six confirmed Any Other Business items which are information from the Luxembourg presidency, and two others:

Codex Alimentarius;

Official Food and Feed Controls;

Aid scheme for the supply of fruit and vegetables, bananas and milk in the educational establishments;

Measures fixing certain aids and refunds related to the common organisation of the markets in agricultural products;

Organic production and labelling of organic products;

Empowering young farmers;

Deteriorating situation in the pigmeat market (requested by the Polish delegation);

Quality concerns related to honey imported to the EU (requested by the Hungarian delegation).

[HCWS390]