Rådsmøde nr. 3406 (landbrug og fiskeri) den 7. september 2015

Europaudvalget 2015-16
Rådsmøde 3406 - landbrug og fiskeri
Offentligt

Council of the

European Union

11735/15

(OR. en)

PRESSE 51

PR CO 43

OUTCOME OF THE COUNCIL MEETING

3406th Council meeting

Agriculture and Fisheries

Brussels, 7 September 2015

President

Fernand Etgen

Minister for Agriculture, Viticulture and Consumer

Protection

PRESS

Rue de la Loi 175 B – 1048 BRUSSELS Tel.: +32 (0)2 281 6319 Fax: +32 (0) 2 281 8026

[email protected] http://www.consilium.europa.eu/press

11735/15

Rådsmøde nr. 3406 (landbrug og fiskeri) den 7. september 2015 - Bilag 1336008:

7 September 2015

CONTENTS

ITEMS DEBATED

AGRICULTURE ................................................................................................................................. 3

Market developments ........................................................................................................................... 3

Any other business ............................................................................................................................... 5

–

African swine fever ................................................................................................................................................. 5

Drought in Eastern Europe ...................................................................................................................................... 5

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

none



Where declarations, conclusions or resolutions have been formally adopted by the Council, this is indicated

in the heading for the item concerned and the text is placed between quotation marks.

 

Documents for which references are given in the text are available on the Council's Internet site

(http://www.consilium.europa.eu).

 

Acts adopted with statements for the Council minutes which may be released to the public are indicated by

an asterisk; these statements are available on the Council's Internet site or may be obtained from the Press

Office.

11735/15

Rådsmøde nr. 3406 (landbrug og fiskeri) den 7. september 2015 - Bilag 1336008:

7 September 2015

ITEMS DEBATED

AGRICULTURE

Market developments

The Council was briefed by the Commission on a package of measures to address the difficult

situation of several agricultural sectors. An exchange of views between ministers followed

(11588/15).

In response to the difficulties currently being faced by these sectors the Commission put forward a

package of measures worth EUR 500 millions. These measures are intended to help address

difficulties in cash-flow faced by farmers, stabilise markets and address the functioning of the

supply chain.

During the debate ministers expressed strong concerns about recent developments in a range of

agricultural sectors, in particular the dairy and pigmeat sectors and the need to respond rapidly and

efficiently to the difficulties farmers are currently facing.

While supporting the package presented by the Commission, delegations underlined the need to be

more precise about the content of the package. The provision of direct targeted aid scheduled by the

Commission, in particular the allocation between member states and the affected sectors, is a key

point for many delegations. As regards the facility to advance part of the direct payments and rural

development payments, most ministers emphasized that flexibility in the controls was needed to

help facilitate implementation. In general they considered that, over the medium term, the

strengthening of promotion measures and the planned work on the supply chain were important

issues.

Among the measures proposed by the Commission, the Council noted in particular:

–

the facility for member states to advance on 16 October up to 70% of direct payment

including other elements of this payment scheme (in particular to young farmers) and 85%

of the rural development payments;

a new private storage scheme for milk products such as skimmed milk powder and cheese;

the reopening of private storage for pigmeat;

an additional funding for promotion of dairy products and pigmeat in the EU and third

countries and a further intensification of efforts to tackle non tariff barriers in third

countries;

the strengthening of the Milk Market Observatory ;

the establishment of High Level Group to improve the functioning of the supply chain to

the benefit of farmers;

–

11735/15

Rådsmøde nr. 3406 (landbrug og fiskeri) den 7. september 2015 - Bilag 1336008:

7 September 2015

–

a better use of the "milk package";

a rapid political agreement on the proposal on the school scheme for fruit and vegetable

and milk;

the use of some products such as the milk powder to address the nutritional needs of the

refugees;

a complete implementation of financing opportunities proposed by the European Fund for

Strategic Investments.

–

Other measures or initiatives were mentioned by member states, some of those depending from the

member states or the producers themselves, in particular:

–

the Council took note of the interest from certain member states, even if it is not

unanimous, for a temporary increase of the intervention price for skimmed milk powder;

the achievement of the negotiations with Russia on sanitary barriers as regards pigmeat

non covered by the ban;

targeted measures for the countries the most affected by the Russian ban;

a call for flexibility in the implementation of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

during this transitional year;

the Council took also note of the wish expressed by some delegations for relaxing of state

aid rules;

the establishment of a High level group on the future of the dairy sector;

an implementation of the simplification programme giving the priority to the reduction of

the costs of farmers;

a strengthened cooperation in the producer organisations and the use of their operational

programmes for developing structural measures;

a careful consideration on the tools allowing to respond to price volatility.

–

The Presidency indicated that technical aspects of the Commission package will be examined by the

Council preparatory bodies in the coming days. The ministers will come back on the issue on the

occasion of the informal agriculture meeting in Luxembourg on 15 September.

11735/15

Rådsmøde nr. 3406 (landbrug og fiskeri) den 7. september 2015 - Bilag 1336008:

7 September 2015

Any other business

–

African swine fever

The Council took note of the Estonian delegation request, supported by Lithuania, Latvia and

Poland, in relation to African swine fever (ASF) and of the reaction of the Commission

representative (11555/15).

ASF is a highly contagious viral disease affecting wild boar and domestic pigs. ASF was first

detected in Lithuania and then in Poland at the beginning of 2014. Since then, cases in wild boars

and domestic pigs have also been identified in Estonia and Latvia. Some member states supported

the views of the countries affected to increase support and to review - in the light of the latest

scientific data - the strategy to fight the disease.

–

Drought in Eastern Europe

The Polish and the Romanian delegations briefed the ministers of the consequences of the severe

drought affecting their countries this summer (11593/15).

Some member states supported their request for a specific support programme for the crops and the

animal production affected by the drought.

11735/15

Rådsmøde nr. 3406 (landbrug og fiskeri) den 7. september 2015 - Bilag 1336008:

7 September 2015

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

11735/15