§ Mr. HoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 18 and 19 March; what the Government's stance was and how it voted on each issue discussed; and if she will make a statement. [45105]
§ Margaret BeckettI represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of the Agriculture Council in Brussels on 18 March.
The Council agreed by qualified majority the aid arrangements to apply to tobacco production for the years 2002–04. A welcome small reduction in, and some re-orientation of, support was agreed, but the Council as a whole was unwilling to endorse a commitment to the eventual phasing out of support to this sector. The UK made clear its continued strong opposition to supporting tobacco production and abstained in the vote.
The Council unanimously agreed proposals for aid in the nut sector. I joined several other member states in noting that the measures concerned were intended to be time-limited and that we would be unwilling to endorse any extension of them.
The Council took stock of the EU Enlargement negotiations on agriculture; and on Tuesday EU Ministers met the agriculture Ministers of the applicant countries to hear their appreciation of key issues.
Spain tabled a memorandum on the possible use of insurance as a risk management tool in agriculture and reported frost damage to some of its olive groves; Germany tabled a note on the Mid Term Review of Agenda 2000 and raised concerns about the monitoring of residues in food products imported from third countries; and France drew attention to pressures on the EU cereals markets.