The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Elizabeth Truss)
The Agriculture and Fisheries Council will take place on 14 March in Brussels. I will be representing the UK.
Also in attendance will be the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, Richard Lochhead MSP; the Northern Irish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Michelle O’Neill MLA; and the Welsh Deputy Minister for Farming and Food, Rebecca Evans AM.
The following items will be discussed:
The primary focus on fisheries will be the adoption of a European Court of Auditors report entitled: “Are the Fisheries Partnership Agreements well managed by the Commission?”, as well as a political agreement on the management of sandeel through the establishment of a total allowable catch for 2016.
The primary focus on agriculture will be a presentation by the Commission and an exchange of views on present market situations, and the use of financial instruments in the agriculture sector. The adoption of a report entitled: “EU support to timber-producing countries under the FLEGT action plan” is also tabled.
The UK has tabled an any other business item on the simplification of CAP audits. I will be encouraging the Commission and other member states to take a fresh look at the way in which we audit and control the common agricultural policy in order to simplify arrangements and reduce the burdens placed on farmers while providing proper protection for public money.
There are currently two additional confirmed any other business items tabled for this Council:
“Hybrid” nutritional labelling system—tabled by the various delegations.
High-level meeting on African swine flu—tabled by Estonia.
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