HC Deb 25 October 2001 vol 373 cc365-6W
Mr. Hood

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 23 October; what the Government's stance was on each issue discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement. [10369]

Margaret Beckett

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Whitty, attended the meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers in Luxembourg on 23 October.

We reported on the experiments to identify whether UK sheep had been exposed to BSE. We emphasised that the UK was conducting a large programme of research into BSE, of which the experiments on brain material from the early 1990s was a small part. Other continuing experiments had shown no evidence of BSE in the flock. Commissioner Byrne reported on progress with the EU programme of cattle testing for BSE and concluded that the Council would need to keep current measures under review.

The Commission presented a number of new proposals: proposals for measures to improve the monitoring and control of animal diseases transmissible to man; a report on the evaluation of the active substances in agricultural pesticides to which the Council will revert in November; and proposals for improving the control of genetically modified food and feed and for the traceability and labelling of genetically modified organisms.

On foot and mouth disease, we updated colleagues on progress towards stamping out the disease in this country. The Council also discussed the situation in the beef market and agreed to keep it under examination.

There was in addition a brief exchange of views on the Commission's proposal to withdraw the authorisation for use of certain feed additives. A number of member states, including the UK, voiced concern over some of the possible withdrawals. The Commission noted that the necessary technical information had not been supplied to support continued authorisation.

Over lunch Commissioner Fischler updated Ministers on the agricultural aspects of the preparations for the World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting at Doha.