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by | December 19, 2012 | Opinion

Next presidential trio – what’s there for agriculture and food?

FOODSTUFFS

– The three Presidencies will work together to ensure a high level of food safety, taking into account the work conducted by the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius and the essential role of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to carry risk assessments as part of authorisation procedures.

– They will ensure the adoption of the proposed regulation on food intended for infants and young children and on food for special medical purposes, aimed at replacing the current legal regime on dietetic foods.

– The three Presidencies will start work on a proposal revising the Regulation on Novel Foods that will be submitted by the Commission, together with a proposal on cloning.

AGRICULTURE

– The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2014-2020 is expected to enter its final and decisive stage. During the first semester of 2013, intensive negotiations are expected between the European Parliament and the Council. Depending on the rhythm and
pace of those negotiations, and on the progress made in the negotiations on the Union’s post-2013 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the Council aims to achieve decisive progress early in the trio Presidency with a view to a timely implementation of the reformed policy, including the implementing regulations.

– In parallel with the negotiations on CAP reform, the Council will continue its work on the adaptation of agricultural legislation to the Lisbon Treaty. Good progress has already been made on a large number of Commission proposals during the previous trio Presidency. The Council will continue to work constructively with the European Parliament towards the completion of this remit, in full respect of the institutional balance foreseen by the Lisbon Treaty.

– The Council also expects to review and if necessary fine tune the results of previous CAP sectoral reforms. In this context the Council looks forward to the Commission’s assessment of the 2007-2008 reforms of the fruit and vegetables and wine sectors and to examining any legislative proposals which the Commission may deem necessary.

– Presidencies will work on changing regulation laying down general rules on information provision and promotion measures for agricultural products on the internal market and in third countries.

– Following the green paper consultation in 2011, the Commission adopted a communication in March 2012 to launch a debate on future promotion policy at an inter-institutional level. This communication may be followed by legislative proposals in the second quarter of 2013.

– The three Presidencies will also progress a legislative proposal on organic farming, which is expected to be published in 2013.

– A proposal on cloning for food production is expected as a follow-up to the Commission Report from 2010 which underlined, inter alia, the need to address the welfare concerns linked to the use of cloning. As was the case for discussions held in the framework of the conciliation on the Novel Food proposal in 2011, discussions on this proposal are likely to attract a high degree of public attention.

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Trio Presidency priorities 18 month programme of the Council (1 January 2013 – 30 June 2014)
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