Licht optimisme Europese Commissie over herstel markt na EHEC-uitbraak (en)

As European markets are recovering from the E. Coli epidemics, vegetable sales have started to rise in the second half of June, according to the Commission’s briefing for ministers of agriculture and fisheries, in Luxembourg on 28 June 2011.

Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas, said in the follow-up press conference, “We have found that an infection was unfortunately set in, but our food security system has fortunately worked efficiently.” The ministers have assessed the vegetable market situation with “moderate optimism”, Mr Fazekas said. “It seems that the market crisis may be over (…) Europe can give a rapid and unified response”, he added. The minister said it was a lesson that “the market is unable to manage all situations, so we should have the right means at the European level to manage similar market crises in strategic industries, such as food production.”

At the initiative of the Hungarian Presidency, on 7 June agriculture ministers held an extraordinary meeting on the EU’s food security and the market implications of the epidemics. At the Council meeting, the Commission has proposed for an amount of 150 million Euros in partial compensation to the affected farmers and raised the amount to 210 million Euros a few days later at the insistence of Member States. Also, it extended the scope of vegetables whose producers are eligible for compensation.

Debate on mackerel fishing

The Council meeting held a debate on mackerel fishing as Iceland and the Faeroe Islands fish for a larger amount than the authorised quantity of mackerel in the northeast waters of the Atlantic. Therefore, Ireland with the endorsement of several other Member States, is urging sanctions against Iceland and the Faeroe Islands. The Commission has already started to prepare legal means if should the sides fail to reach an agreement.

Mackerel is jointly fished for in the northeast Atlantic by the EU, candidate Iceland, and non-EU members Norway and the Faeroe Islands. This used to be regulated by an agreement, which resulted in an increase of the mackerel stock. But the efforts to renew the agreement have failed since January 2010, as the parties cannot agree on their shares of allowable catches. Since then, the Faeroe Islands and Iceland have caught a unilaterally established quantity, which is not sustainable according to the EU and Norway. Therefore, the total catch is expected to reach 1 million tons in 2011, as opposed to only 646 thousand tons, which is what the stock sustainability would allow according to scientific boards.

Commission: Iceland and the Faeroe Islands are irresponsible

Commissioner for Fisheries Maria Damanaki, said during the press conference at the Council meeting, “We all agree what Iceland and the Faroe Islands are doing is irresponsible, and we have the in danger of damaging our mackerel stocks. It cannot be accepted by the EU. We are acting very carefully, so we want an agreement but not at any cost. But we cannot stay there and ignore the bad behaviour. Now the Commission is preparing all legal instruments to be in place if we want to use them. And we try to persuade everybody that reaching an agreement is the best solution for all of us.”

Quotas for sustainable fisheries

Ms Damanaki presented to the Council meeting the Commission’s usual annual communication on the fisheries quotas. The Commission proposes to terminate overfishing by 2012, and to introduce maximum sustainable level of yields (MSY) by 2015 . The Commission is now preparing the quotas up to 2015. The TAC is determined by the Commission, according to expert opinions by researchers. The Commission proposes to reduce TAC by 25 percent on average, in casees where scientific advice is absent. The Member States opposed the Commission’s proposals have agreed with the long-term objectives.

The future of food aids for people in need

The Hungarian Presidency and Italy have jointly briefed the Council on the future of the regulation on food aids that may be provided to people in need. The two countries are asking the Commission to propose an amendment on the regulation at its earliest convenience. Under the original version of the regulation made in 1987, the EU can use its agricultural intervention stocks for providing aids to the most deprived people. Thefefore, aiding belongs to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). But a series of CAP reforms has significantly diminished intervention stocks, and their recovery is unlikely in the future. This calls for a reform of the food aid program.

Minister for Rural Development, Sándor Fazekas,emphasised at the follow-up press conference that “This program has proved to be useful for more than 20 years. It brings European solidarity to millions of EU citizens. Given the abrupt drop in the quantity of intervention stocks in recent years, the scope of eligible goods has also been drastically narrowed down. We held this debate to find a solution to this situation.”

A total of 80 million people are considered poor in the entire EU, and 13 million people from 18 Member States received food aids in 2008. The food aid program has managed an annual budget of 500 million Euros since 2009.

Member States are not required to join this aid program. Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK have opted out for their objection to funding the program from the CAP, and regarding the program as a social issue. (The Czech Republic is participating but does not support financing out of the CAP). The other Member States are in favour of preserving CAP funding for the future. At the same time, they challenge the Commission’s proposal to introduce co-financing by Member States.

Mr Fazekas stressed at the follow-up press conference that, “This aiding is built on the use of agricultural intervention stocks, hence the program is an organic part of the Common Agricultural Policy.”

Fazekas: Union made stronger and more stable under Hungarian Presidency

Giving a short summary of the Hungarian Presidency, Mr Fazekas was convinced that, “The Union has become stronger and more stable”. He reminded journalists that “we have made a vow for a consensus-seeking and consultative Presidency six months ago, and all along, we have done our job in this spirit.”

He pointed out that a strong agriculture and a strong production of healthy food are prerequisites for a strong European Union.