Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Luxembourg: These are the topics on Monday’s agenda

On 19 and 20 October, EU ministers for agriculture will meet in Luxembourg under the auspices of the German Council Presidency. The meeting will be led by Julia Klöckner, Germany’s Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture.

Ministers will discuss the reform of the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) with a focus on adopting a general approach on new regulation on the CAP strategic plans, the single common market organisation and on the CAP’s financing, management and monitoring.

Fixing next year’s total allowable catches (TACs) and member states’ quotas for the most commercially important fish stocks in the Baltic Sea - including salmon, tuna and cod - is another important agenda point for the EU ministers. Quotas are designed to preserve fish stocks, share fishing opportunities between member states and protect marine ecosystems.

Ministers will also discuss adoption of the Farm to Fork Strategy which aims to make food systems healthier and more environmentally friendly. The strategy is a central part of the European Green Deal and was first presented by the European Commission in May 2020. Its main goals include reducing the use of pesticides, tackling food loss and waste and combatting food fraud.

The Council will also hear from delegations on issues surrounding animal slaughtering and processing and beef and veal market regulations.

Info

Ministers will arrive on 19 October at 9.00 for the two-day meeting. The arrivals and the public sessions at 10.05, 11.05 and 16.00 will be available via live streams on the website of the Council of the EU. On 20 October, live streams of the arrivals at 9.00 and the public session at 10, as well as a subsequent press conference, will be carried on the same website.

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