§ Mr. BreedTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on ensuring uniformity of farming regulations in the EU. [118943]
§ Ms QuinMy right hon. Friend the Minister and I regularly meet colleagues from the other member states and the Commission to discuss agricultural legislation. Most recently I attended the Agriculture Council on 17 April to discuss a number of issues including Beef Labelling. It is the responsibility of the Commission to ensure that member states meet their obligations to administer EU legislation properly but that does not necessarily in all cases require complete uniformity as there is scope to apply the principle of subsidiarity where appropriate.