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Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Answer

Mr. Nicholls: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the date of each EU meeting he has attended at which the future of the British livestock industry was discussed; what EU (a) draft and (b) other (i) plans, (ii) proposals and (iii) discussion papers relating to (1) the future of the British livestock industry and (2) an arable-only option for English farming he has been informed of; and if he will make a statement. [157047] Ms Quin: [holding answer 5 April 2001]: Between July 1998 and April 2001, the Minister and/or I attended 17 meetings of the EU Agriculture Council at which matters affecting he British livestock industry were discussed. In addition, the Minister has attended six informal meetings of the Agriculture Council and I have attended one. These are a forum for discussion on the future direction of EU agri-food policy, based on a Presidency paper. The dates of these meetings, both formal and informal, are set out at Annex A. The outcome of each Council is formally reported to the House. The most significant set of proposals to date has been the Agenda 2000 proposals on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. First discussed at the Agriculture Council in March 1998, these were refined and finalised in March 1999. The package included reductions to the level of market support to the arable, beef and dairy regimes, and the establishment of a single, integrated legal framework for farm-related rural development and agri-environment measures (the Rural Development Regulation). Other proposals likely to impact on the livestock industry are: Commission proposal (April 2000) to amend Common Organisation of Market in pigmeat to permit member states to set producer-financed funds to help stabilise incomes; Commission proposal (December 2000) to introduce a three-year pilot "Small Farmers' Scheme" simplifying the subsidy system for farmers receiving CAP payments under specified schemes of less than 1,000 euros per year, and Commission seven-point plan (January 2001) to tackle the difficulties faced by the beef regime in the light of BSE. All proposals for EU legislation are subject to ministerial and parliamentary scrutiny before they are adopted. The Government are not aware of any proposals for an arable-only future for the British farming industry. Annex A: Meetings attended by Minister at which matters affecting British livestock industry were discussed _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Date of meeting Forum 20-22 September 1998 Informal Agriculture Council--Austrian Presidency paper: Farming in harmony with nature, agricultural perspectives for rural areas 28 September 1998 Agriculture Council 19-20 October 1998 Agriculture Council 23-24 November 1998 Agriculture Council 14-15 December 1998 Agriculture Council 18-19 January 1999 Agriculture Council 22-23 February 1999 Agriculture Council 4-5 and 9-11 March 1999 Agriculture Council 31 May-1 June 1999 Informal Agriculture Council--German Presidency paper: Sustainable rural development agricultural structure policy for rural areas 19 July 1999 Agriculture Council 13-14 September 1999 Informal Agriculture Council--Finnish Presidency paper: Agriculture and the new WTO round of negotiations 15-16 November 1999 Agriculture Council 14-15 December 1999 Agriculture Council 24 January 2000 Agriculture Council 20-21 March 2000 Agriculture Council 17-18 April 2000 Agriculture Council 29-30 May 2000 Informal Agriculture Council--Portuguese Presidency paper: Quality in diversity: a challenge for EU agriculture 19 June 2000 Agriculture Council 17 July 2000 Agriculture Council 21 November 2000 Agriculture Council 4 December 2000 Agriculture Council 19-20 December 2000 Agriculture Council 29 January 2001 Agriculture Council 26-27 February 2001 Agriculture Council 19-20 March 2001 Agriculture Council 24-25 April 2001 Agriculture Council _________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

368 c489-90W;368 c490-1W; 157047

Session

2000-01

Subjects

EU action Livestock industry Reform Subsidies Common agricultural policy

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk