§ Mr. CasaleTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the outcome was of the Agriculture Council held in Luxembourg on 19 and 20 June; and if he will make a statement. [127555]
§ Mr. Nick BrownI represented the United Kingdom at the Agriculture Council meeting in Luxembourg on 19 June 2000, accompanied by Brid Rodgers MLA, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Northern Ireland Executive.
The main topic for discussion was a proposal for EU-wide rules governing the use of Specified Risk Materials to prevent the spread of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. There was no qualified majority for the proposal in the Council (Austria, Finland, Spain and Greece opposing, Germany abstaining) but the absence of a simple majority of member states opposing means the Commission are free to adopt it under the relevant procedures. I welcomed this important consumer safety measure which will apply appropriate controls on SRMs in all EU countries, and for which the UK has long been pressing.
The Council deferred a decision on the 2000–01 CAP price proposals until its July meeting. In order to avoid a legal vacuum when the sugar and pigmeat marketing years begin on 1 July however, the Council agreed to extend current price supports as from that date. I, Sweden and the Netherlands voted against the decision on sugar for which we consider a support price cut is required. The decision on pigmeat was agreed unanimously.
A first Council discussion of the Commission's proposal to establish income stabilisation funds in the pigmeat sector revealed a divergence of views. Many member states, including the UK, expressed fears that the proposal would exacerbate market price volatility and distort competition. Others felt provision of Community finance and greater compulsion on producers to participate in stabilisation funds was the key. The Council will return to this issue in due course.
Under Other Business I urged the Commission to review its approach to the allocation of export refunds for processed agricultural products in the context of budget and WTO constraints. I expressed particular concern at the Commission's decision to suspend the issue of refund certificates, which has caught out many companies through no fault of their own. I also requested Commissioner Fischler to ensure that cutbacks in refunds for future years avoid placing a disproportionate burden on particular sectors, notably cereals-based spirit drinks.
Also under Other Business I strongly supported the Swedish Minister's call for better enforcement by all member states of the EU rules on the welfare of animals in transit, as well as further, more rigorous legislation. I particularly welcomed the new Commission's Working Group, which Commissioner Byrne has established, at the United Kingdom's suggestion, to address these issues.