§ Ms LawrenceTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 19 and 20 January; and if he will make a statement. [24853]
Dr. John CunninghamI chaired the first meeting of the European Union Council of Agriculture Ministers under the United Kingdom Presidency of the EU on 20 January in Brussels. My noble Friend, Lord Donoughue, Parliamentary Secretary responsible for the farming and food industry, represented the United Kingdom. My noble Friend, Lord Dubs, Under-Secretary of State in the Northern Ireland Office, was also present.
I informed EU Ministers of the United Kingdom's priorities in the Agriculture Council for the six months of the UK Presidency, emphasising in particular the priority we shall attach to starting negotiations on the CAP reform elements of Agenda 2000, on making progress on animal welfare proposals, on bringing the EU banana regime into line with the recent WTO ruling, whilst respecting the EU' s obligations to ACP and EU producers, and completing the forthcoming CAP price fixing.
In the course of the Council, the Commissioner gave a presentation of his recent proposal to amend the EU banana regime, and Ministers gave their initial reactions to this. I undertook to take forward the technical work on this proposal as rapidly as possible in order to facilitate early agreement in the Council in the interests of all those, in particular producers in the ACP countries, who are affected by the WTO ruling.
I invited colleagues to give their views on the Commission's recent reports on the operation of the agri-environmental and forestry regulations introduced as part of the 1992 CAP reforms. This gave rise to a useful debate which will inform the Commission's preparations for the agri-environmental and rural development elements of the forthcoming Agenda 2000 proposals.
The Agriculture Commissioner gave a brief report to the Council on the recent ruling by the WTO Appellate Body on hormones in beef. The Council will hear further reports from the Commission on the handling of this ruling once there has been time to analyse its implications in greater detail. The Commissioner also reported in depth his recent exchanges with the United States Agriculture 676W Secretary about issues in discussion between the EU and the US concerning the adoption of a veterinary equivalence agreement. Commissioner Fischler emphasised the constructive and positive nature of recent exchanges, and expressed the hope that an agreement could be concluded in the near future. I emphasised my wish to see this achieved as soon as possible during the UK Presidency.