18 November Agriculture Council

Date: 21/11/1996

AGRICULTURE ministers formally adopted the beef reform package agreed in principle last month with its 500 million ecu of additional aid. Following pressure from France, Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler stressed the extra finance would be added to the 1997 budget and that, in addition to this sum and to the 12 million ecu already earmarked for the European quality beef scheme, a further 20 million ecu would be available for beef promotion measures.

DISCUSSIONS on beef labelling and identification highlighted the difficulties of establishing a computerised database system. Ministers asked officials to speed up debate on the technical issues in order to facilitate political progress. Irish minister Ivan Yates now feels an agreement is extremely unlikely next month, indicating that his country's EU presidency is likely to finish on a quiet note. Member states are still divided over whether the labelling scheme should be voluntary or compulsory, but Fischler believes that optional arrangements are the only way to ensure rapid implementation of a system he considers crucial to restore consumer confidence. Italy, Luxembourg, the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland backed a voluntary scheme.

UK MINISTER Douglas Hogg reported on progress on the country's various anti-BSE measures. He maintained that the UK government had “been very active” in dealing with four of the five points in the Florence agreement, but explained that London was still waiting for the opinion of expert EU scientific committees on the selective slaughter programme before deciding how to proceed. Hogg said the UK had already slaughtered and destroyed more than 900,000 animals under the over-30-month scheme. It was now killing about 60,000 animals a week, and would reach a total of some 1.2 million by the end of the year. Hogg added that the UK would “soon bring forward ideas for a certified herds scheme”. Fischler stressed that studies were being prepared on claims that member states were stopping the re-export of non-British beef processed in the UK.

WITH Austria, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland still strongly opposed to the compromise, Yates indicated that he would not press for a deal on a potato regime at December's Council. It also seems unlikely that the Dutch and the Luxembourgers will be interested in taking up the issue during their six-month EU presidencies next year.

AS ANTICIPATED, most member states called for an increase in the maximum guaranteed areas (MGA) for durum wheat proposed earlier this year by the Commission. With the UK demanding an MGA of 8,000 hectares and Germany 25,000 hectares more, additional demands totalled 650,000 hectares. Fischler stated that only three million out of four million hectares was actually claimed for under the existing scheme, and that extra demands would cost an additional 200 million ecu (from 1998 onwards) and were therefore out of the question. The other major difference concerned the flexibility of MGAs on a regional basis. Provided the European Parliament has given its opinion, Ireland believes a deal is possible in December.

DISCUSSION of the Cork declaration on rural policy revealed considerable enthusiasm from the British, Swedes and Finns for the latest policy direction. On the other side of the debate stood the Spaniards, Germans, French and Dutch, who pointed out the initiative might challenge the future of the CAP. Fischler insisted Cork did not undermine the CAP, and that the conclusions should be passed on to the Dublin summit.

HAVING failed once again to agree on the status and funding for the new Veterinary and Phytosanitary Office in Grange, County Meath, Ireland, the Council issued a statement calling for its speedy establishment. The Commission wants an independent agency, part-funded by veterinary inspection fees, but member states remain deadlocked. Ministers also delayed the appointment of a vice-president for the new body.