HC Deb 31 March 2004 vol 419 cc1461-3W
Mr. Connarty

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 22 and 23 March; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement. [163938]

Mr. Bradshaw

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and 1 represented the UK at a meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on 22–23 March. Ministers with agriculture and fisheries responsibilities for Scotland and Northern Ireland were also present.

The Council marked with a period of silence its respect for the victims of the Madrid bombs.

The main item of business was a discussion on the Commission's proposals for a regulation to reduce the level of small cetacean bycatch. Many member states were concerned about the resource implications of the proposal, both for the fishing industry and government. In discussion we dropped our request for exemptions from mandatory use of acoustic deterrent devices ("pingers") in the 0–6 nautical mile zone and in ICES Area VIId. We argued against exemptions for under 12 metre vessels to have to use "pingers" on fishing nets and for those under 15 metres to be exempt from observer requirements. We thought only smaller vessels should be exempted but most other Member States supported the proposal. We were pleased that the Regulation offers flexibility for those member states which already have robust bycatch data to design appropriate monitoring schemes alongside provisions for mandatory monitoring schemes for those that do not. A requirement has been included in the Regulation for pilot projects to monitor the effects of "pinger" usage and to observe bycatch on under 15 metres vessels. These pilot schemes have to be designed to deliver good quality scientific data which will be used to review the Regulation after two years' experience. The Regulation also provides for the progressive phasing out of drift nets in the Baltic, which will culminate in a total ban on January 2008. Taken as a whole the package is an important advance in the protection of small cetaceans.

A regulation was also adopted to protect permanently an area of cold water coral reefs off the north west of Scotland (known as the Darwin Mounds) from the impact of damaging fishing activities.

The only agriculture business was further discussion of the Commission's proposals for reform of the olive oil, cotton, tobacco and hops regimes, together with some technical amendment of existing regulations to accommodate the new Member States joining the EU in May this year. The Presidency acknowledged that several delegations were not in a position to conclude negotiations at this Council and announced an additional Council on 19–20 April in Luxembourg to deal specifically with this package. Discussion concentrated on cotton, olive oil and tobacco and largely re-confirmed existing positions. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs stressed the case for the Commission's proposal of 100 per cent. decoupling in the tobacco sector and joined those arguing for a higher level of decoupling than that proposed for cotton.

Under other business, Commissioner Byrne reported on a recent visit to the USA, Commissioner Fischler reported on progress in EU/Mercosur trade talks and Austria raised a point on harmonisation of approval procedures for pesticides.