Agriculture and Fisheries Council (June)

Caroline Spelman Excerpts

Monday 12th July 2010 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mrs Caroline Spelman)]

My hon. Friend the Minister of State and the Under-Secretary with responsibility for the natural environment and fisheries, my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Richard Benyon), represented the United Kingdom at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on 29 June. Richard Lochhead MSP also attended. This was the last Agriculture and Fisheries Council under the Spanish presidency.

On fisheries Commissioner Damanaki set out a fairly clear picture of the current state of fish stocks. The Commission had published its annual policy statement which set out the framework for determining what catch limits would be proposed for 2011, once the scientific advice was published. However, it proposed more strict catch limits for over-exploited stocks to reach the level of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) by 2015, in line with agreements at the 2002 Johannesburg World Sustainable Development Summit.

Most fishing member states commented. The UK stressed the following points (with a number of member states supporting each):

Achieving MSY should be done pragmatically given differences of scientific opinion, and the difficulty of establishing targets for single stocks in mixed fisheries;

Catch limits for stocks with insufficient data should be set as per last year, rather than reduced in line with catches as proposed;

Catch quotas (rather than current landing quotas) should be more widely used on a pilot basis in order to reduce discarded fish;

The quality and coverage of scientific data should be improved, including using industry input.

The Commission welcomed broad support on its approach, but remained firm on pleas for certain stocks; fisheries could not remain sustainable with current levels of fishing and numbers of vessels; changes needed to be made.

Damanaki also pressed the need for radical and fundamental reform of the common fisheries policy (negative economic outlook for most fleet segments; overcapacity driving down profitability leading to unsafe fishing practices, non-EU crew and leading to undue pressure on fishing stocks; negative social aspects; the amount of aid directed to the industry; low employment forecasts). A new regime should include a mix of individual transferable rights and effort management for limiting fishing opportunities and be operated on a much more regionalised basis.

The UK lead the support for this (against French, German and Polish defence of much of the current regime) emphasising the following points:

Simplified and decentralised decision-making with a more regionalised CFP;

Move away from rigid quota rules; rights for fishing should be transferrable within a member state;

Support for the social and cultural aspects of fishing in coastal communities;

Reduce discarded fish;

Greater integration of fisheries with other marine policies, especially environmental;

No additional regulation of aquaculture at EU level, external fisheries policies to be consistent with internal ones.

There were two points raised under any other business—the Commission emphasising the importance of immediately submitting national programmes for take up of the European Fisheries Fund (EFF); and Ireland drawing attention to Iceland’s recent declaration of a very large unilateral quota for mackerel in its waters (with the Faroes also threatening similar action). The UK stressed the vital importance of the mackerel stock to its industry being the most important to it economically. The present actions by Iceland and Faroe Islands were threatening the future sustainability of the stock. The Commission were encouraged (lead by the UK) to adopt a strong position to defend EU interests. The Commission undertook to talk to both countries.

Finally on fisheries, Ministers had an informal discussion on the future of the common market organisation of fisheries.

On agriculture, Council conclusions on the international competitiveness of the European agri-food model adopted as an A item without any comments.

Commissioners Ciolos (Agriculture) and Dalli (Health and Consumer Protection) made presentations on simplification and better regulation. This responded to ongoing pressure from the Council to reduce burdens that affect the competitiveness of the sector, and recognising that these can originate from across the Commission. Attention was drawn to the work the Commission had already completed to simplify existing CAP regulation, but noted too that simplification would not halt there; they would adopt a further simplification package in October. The longer-term reform of the CAP would be a further opportunity for simplification.

Eighteen member states, including the UK, had submitted a political memorandum on CAP simplification. This called for continued simplification now and in CAP reform post-2013, a more risk-based approach to financial controls, to dispense with the use of flat-rate financial corrections, and to proceed in cases of financial irregularity with an eye to the real risk to Community funds. The UK also outlined the newly established UK task force assessing the burden of farm regulation, while drawing particular attention to the complexity, cost and disproportional nature of the Commission’s financial control regime.

Next, the presidency sought confirmation of member states’ voting intentions on the Commission’s proposals to approve the placing on the market for food and feed use (but not cultivation) of five new varieties of genetically modified maize and to renew one existing authorisation. The six draft decisions were referred to the Council under the comitology rules having failed to attract a qualified majority in support when first tabled at the Regulatory Committee earlier this year. Since there was neither a qualified majority in support nor against in the Council, it fell to the Commission to adopt the decisions under its own competence.

Ciolos then introduced the dairy quarterly report which, like its two predecessors, continued to show strongly positive trends for all dairy commodities. The Commission flagged its intention to adopt a dairy package later in the year responding to the final report of the High Level Group on the dairy sector. The incoming Belgian presidency said it would debate the High Level Group report at the July Council.

There were three points raised under any other business. Greece urged the Commission to take action in respect of Argentina’s apparent breach of its WTO commitments in blocking imports of Greek canned peaches. The Netherlands encouraged Ministers to attend a conference it would be hosting on 31 October to 5 November in The Hague on food security and climate change. Poland drew attention to the floods that had recently inundated parts of the country.