[autom.vertaling] Landbouw en de Raad van de Visserij: ministers moeten knoop doorhakken over 'gezondheidscontrole' GLB (en)

Presided over by Michel Barnier i, the French minister for agriculture and fisheries, the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 18 and 19 November in Brussels promises to be decisive. The agriculture ministers from the 27 Member States of the European Union are due to conclude the ‘health check’ of the common agricultural policy and reach agreement on the proposal on the free distribution of fruit and vegetables in schools.

To give due consideration to the opinion of the MEPs voting in plenary session on 19 November, the Council of Ministers is meeting in Brussels on 18 and 19 November and should reach a political agreement on the ‘health check’ of the common agricultural policy (CAP). Planned since the last reform of the CAP in 2003, this meeting is a mid-term review of the functioning of the CAP aimed at modernizing the legislative and regulatory instruments to adapt them to the new agricultural issues (market volatility, crises, energy challenges, etc.).

Initiated under the Slovenian Presidency on the basis of proposals from the European Commission made public in November 2007, the debates between the 27 Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament accelerated under the French Presidency. The French Presidency plans to conclude this exercise at this Council. It also hopes to obtain an agreement on the proposal on the free distribution of fruit and vegetables in school, on which the European Parliament is also due to deliver its opinion on 19 November.

With regard to marine fisheries, political agreement is sought on the proposal for a regulation concerning the revision of the cod stocks recovery plan, which is a priority for France. The ministers are also invited to exchange views on the bilateral fishing agreement with Norway and the Commission’s proposal on the reform of the Community fisheries control. The Commission is also expected to touch on the communication on the strategy for the sustainable development of European aquaculture that it is preparing for 2009.

Public events can be viewed through videostreaming at the following address: http:/www.consilium.europa.eu/videostreaming