Agriculture and Fisheries Council

Caroline Spelman Excerpts

Friday 13th July 2012 Written Statements

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

The next Agriculture and Fisheries Council is on Monday 16 July in Brussels and the first under the Cypriot presidency. The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for South East Cambridgeshire (Mr Paice) who is responsible for agriculture and food will represent the UK. Stewart Stevenson MSP will also attend.

The main items on 16 July will be proposals and debates on the rural development, specifically risk management measures, and the single common organisation of the markets sections of the Commission Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

There will also be a Commission presentation and exchange of views regarding a consultation on fishing opportunities for 2013.

The document is a consultation on the Commission’s intended approach this year for the process of setting total allowable catches and effort levels for the EU fleet in 2013, in accordance with the EU common fisheries policy. The Commission is consulting on their intentions for this process with member states, Regional Advisory Councils and the Advisory Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture.

There are currently six any other business points confirmed:

An update from the Commission on the situation in the dairy sector;

Co-operation with China in the agri-food sector;

Mackerel;

The CAP paying agencies conference;

Fires in Spain;

Situation report on the dairy market;

A request for the re-introduction of export refunds for dairy products;

Animal welfare (Transport).