HC Deb 02 June 1998 vol 313 cc202-3W
Mr. Lock

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 25 and 26 May; and if he will make a statement. [44285]

Dr. John Cunningham

I chaired a meeting of the European Union Agriculture Council in Brussels on 25 and 26 May. My noble Friend Lord Donoughue, the Parliamentary Secretary responsible for the farming and food industry, represented the United Kingdom, and my noble Friend Lord Sewel, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, was also present.

The principal business of the Council was to assess progress in negotiations on the Commission's proposals for CAP reform made in the framework of Agenda 2000. Those negotiations were launched at a special meeting of the Council which I chaired on 31 March 1998, and have continued at an intensive pace at expert level since then. In the Council, EU Ministers recognised the excellent start which had been made to this work, and discussed draft conclusions which I circulated as Presidency summarising the work to date, identifying the principal issues central to the on-going negotiation, and committing the Council to continuing its intensive work on the Agenda 2000 proposals from now on.

I am pleased to say that the Council was able to give unanimous approval to those conclusions, which will now be submitted to Foreign Ministers for inclusion in the report to Heads of Government meeting in Cardiff on 15–16 June. The Agriculture Council will then continue its discussions of Agenda 2000 at its July meeting.

The Council also debated the Commission's proposal on reform of the EU olive oil regime, and noted the principal questions remaining to be resolved on that proposal. I undertook to continue work on the proposal in the hope of finding a basis of agreement at the Council in June.

The Council had a presentation from the Commission of its proposals for a decision on an EU/Canada veterinary agreement. The Council also reached agreement by qualified majority on a regulation setting out detailed rules for genetically modified soya and maize intended for sale to the final consumer; Italy, Sweden and Denmark voted against.