Press Release: 3314th Council meeting, Agriculture and Fisheries, Brussels, 19 May 2014

Main results of the Council (19 May 2014)

Minor uses of plant protection products:
The Council supported the setting up of a coordination facility to help develop additional tools to control diseases for minor crops, as suggested in a Commission report.

Minor uses of plant protection products are not economically sustainable for the plant protection industry. This leads to a lack of available plant protection products for minor crops and major crops affected by less common pests or diseases.

Other business:
On the initiative of the Netherlands and Swedish delegations the Council discussed food loss and food waste in the European Union and ways to reduce it.

On a request from the Danish and Swedish delegations, supported by several other delegations, the Commission informed the Council of the measures taken so far to improve the implementation of the animal transport regulation.

The Council also took note of the Commission commitment to take all necessary measures to prevent citrus black spot disease from entering the EU and to present a new proposal with strict control measures to the Standing Committee on the food chain on 22 May.

Other items approved:
The Council adopted conclusions welcoming the new EU Forest Strategy published by the Commission in September 2013.

ESO: Background information: New EU Forest strategy: conclusions adopted by the Council http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-new-eu-forest-strategy-conclusions-adopted-by-the-council/

ESO: Background information: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 14 April 2014, Luxembourg http://www.europeansources.info/record/meeting-agriculture-and-fisheries-council-14-april-2014/

ESO: Background information: Tackling food waste: The EU's contribution to a global issue http://www.europeansources.info/record/tackling-food-waste-the-eus-contribution-to-a-global-issue-2/

ESO: Background information: Report From The Commission To The European Parliament And The Council on the establishment of a European fund for minor uses in the field of plant protection products http://www.europeansources.info/record/report-from-the-commission-to-the-european-parliament-and-the-council-on-the-establishment-of-a-european-fund-for-minor-uses-in-the-field-of-plant-protection-products/

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