Agenda Raad: visstand in Baltische Zee, hervorming in suikersector, strategische richtlijnen voor plattelandsontwikkeling (en)

The Agriculture & Fisheries Council will meet in Brussels on Tuesday 22 (starting at 9.30 a.m.), Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 November 2005, under the Presidency of Mrs Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Mr Ben Bradshaw, Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare of The United Kingdom.

Fisheries and other Coreper points will be discussed on Tuesday morning.

The points on the agenda are:

Fisheries

Council Regulation for the conservation of fishery resources through technical measures in the Baltic Sea, the Belts and the Sound, and amending Regulation (EC) No 1434/98

The Council will discuss the measures proposed by the Commission on 14 March 2005 for the conservation of fisheries resources through technical measures in the Baltic Sea, the Belts and the Sound. The aim of this proposal is to compile all existing technical measures into a single Regulation. At present, technical measures applicable in these areas stem from two different sources -existing Community legislation (Council Regulation (EC) No 88/98), and the multilateral framework of the International Baltic Sea Fisheries Commission (IBSFC). Following enlargement, in May of last year, the IBSFC was effectively reduced to two members, the Community and Russia. The Community has therefore withdrawn from the IBSFC effective from the end of 2005.

As well as bringing together all existing measures in a single instrument, the new Regulation also aims to rectify gaps, mainly in application and enforcement of current measures. The proposed Regulation would apply from 1 January 2006 onwards.

The amendments proposed to Council Regulation 1434/98, which lays down rules on landings of herring for industrial purposes other than human consumption, concern the deletion of the provisions relating to the Baltic Sea. These will be replaced by the general provisions on unsorted landings in the new Regulation.

The Commission prepared its proposal in very close consultation with the fishing sector, the Member States and non-governmental organisations. This co-operation was particularly valuable in identifying the best adapted technical measures to the characteristics of fisheries in the Baltic.

Proposal for a Council Regulation fixing for 2006 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for fish stocks in the Baltic Sea, the Belts and the Sound - exchange of views

The Commission will present to the Council a recovery plan for the Baltic cod stocks and the long-term management of the fisheries concerned. The exchange of views should pave the way to political agreement at the December Council. The recovery plan will be based on a gradual reduction of fishing mortality combined with an effort management system, probably in the form of extended seasonal closures.

The Commission has already indicated that it wishes to reduce fishing effort on Baltic cod at the Community level by 10%, over and above the summer closed periods already agreed with Russia at the last annual meeting of the IBSFC. The Commission will invite an exchange of views on alternative ways in which this goal might be achieved.

Frontloading: effort control measures associated with TACs and quotas for 2006 - exchange of views

The two-month interval between the delivery to the Commission of scientific advice on fish stocks by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the management decisions for the following year taken by the December Council makes it difficult for fisheries managers at national and Community level to examine and draw conclusions from the advice. It also makes it more difficult to involve stakeholders in the decision-making process. The Commission, therefore, consulted with Member States and stakeholders on possible changes to the Council's working method and in the structure and timing of the annual exercise to set the annual Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and fishing quotas. The results of this consultation were discussed during an informal ministerial debate on 24 October.

The Commission will present some of the main questions which may be expected to come up when the proposal for a TAC and Quota Regulation is submitted in December, in particular in relation to the cod recovery plan, and will discuss possible responses with the Council.

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Norway

The commission will present the progress made in bilateral negotiations with Norway on mutual fishing possibilities for 2006. The second round will be held in Brussels from 28 November to 2 December.

Health and food safety

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Avian Influenza

Commissioner Kyprianou will update Ministers on recent developments regarding Avian Influenza, and on measures adopted since the last Agriculture Council including the decision on banning the imports of captive birds and placing conditions on the imports of birds accompanying their owners. On the occasion, Commissioner Kyprianou will also provide Ministers with feedback from his recent trip to South-East Asia.

Russian Ban on Polish meat and plant products.

The Commissioner will also take a point put at the request of the Polish delegation concerning the ban recently imposed by the Russian Federation on the import of meat and plant products from Poland.

Agriculture

Sugar sector reform

On 22 June 2005, the Commission proposed far-reaching reforms to the Common Market Organisation for sugar (see IP/05/776). The changes will enhance the competitiveness and market-orientation of the European Union sugar sector, guarantee it a viable long-term future and strengthen the EU's negotiating position in the current round of world trade talks. They will modernise the current system, which has remained largely unchanged for around 40 years. The new system will continue to offer preferential access to Europe's sugar market for developing countries at an attractive price well above the world market level. African, Caribbean and Pacific countries which traditionally export sugar to the EU will benefit from an assistance programme. The Commission reform proposals include a two-step cut totalling 39% in the price for white sugar; compensation to farmers for 60 percent of the price cut through a decoupled payment - which would be linked to the respect of environmental and land management standards and added to the Single Farm Payment; a voluntary restructuring scheme lasting four years to encourage less competitive producers to leave the sector; and the abolition of intervention. The ACP assistance plan will earmark € 40 million for 2006 and pave the way for further assistance.

The idea of the Presidency and Commission is to reach an agreement (general approach) on a far reaching reform of the sugar CMO. A first compromise text will be distributed to the Member States at the beginning of the meeting and will be the basis for discussions that will continue over the following days.
For details on the proposal, an info pack and other information on the reform of the sugar market, see:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/capreform/sugar/index_en.htm

For a statement of Mrs Fischer Boel ahead of the Council negotiations, see IP/05/1442

Strategic guidelines for Rural Development

On 5 July 2005, the Commission adopted EU strategic guidelines for rural development (see IP/05/845). Following political agreement by the Agriculture Council on the new Rural Development Regulation on 20 June, the guidelines set out a strategic approach and a range of options which Member States could use in their national Rural Development programmes. Since the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, Rural Development is playing an increasingly important role in helping rural areas to meet the challenges of the 21^st century. Rural areas make up 90 percent of the territory of the enlarged EU and the new regulation broadens the possibilities to use Rural Development funding to boost growth and create jobs in rural areas - in line with the Lisbon Strategy - and to improve sustainability, in line with the Göteborg sustainability goals.

For documents and further information on the strategic guidelines, see: http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/capreform/rdguidelines/index_en.htm

The Council is expected to reach a general approach on the strategic guidelines..

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• WTO Negotiations: Information from the Commission on the state of play of the Doha Development Round negotiations.
• Transition from the single area payment system (SAPS) to the single payment system (SPS).
• Safeguard clause for apples.
• National aid to Cypriot farmers with a view to regulating accumulated agricultural debts.