European Union: Presidency work programme on agriculture

The Hellenic Presidency gave a public presentation on its work programme in the agriculture and fisheries sectors. The agricultural policy priorities of the Presidency will include:

• Seeking the completion of the work on delegated acts related to entry into force of the reformed Common agriculture policy (CAP) in January next year;
• Continuing the work, and if possible negotiating with the European Parliament with a view to the adoption of a proposal on information and promotion for agricultural products within and outside the EU, focusing on a more flexible response to the specific needs of different markets and the simplification of programme administration;
• Examining the report and possibly a proposal for a Common organisation of the market organisation in the fruit and vegetable sector including better administration and implementation of measures in the fruit and vegetable sector, as related to the organisation of producers, their operating funds and programmes;
• Initiating the work on a proposal for school schemes on fruit and vegetables and milk products which aims to put together two different schemes to simplify the procedure.
• Working alignment with the Lisbon Treaty on legislatives proposals and initiating the work on reports on organic farming and the future of milk sector.

The priorities for fisheries policy will focus on:

• Finalise as soon as possible the work on the agreement with the European Parliament on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) that will be used from 2014 to 2020 to fund the implementation of the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) adopted last year;
• Supporting the work of the inter-institutional task force regarding the setting of multiannual plans of fish stocks management that represent the basis for the new CFP;
• Coordinating the EU position and representation at negotiations concerning protocols to agreements on fisheries partnership with third countries, as well as annual meetings with the regional organisations of fisheries management and coastal states.

As regards food and veterinary issues the Presidency intends to:

• Finalising the work on the proposal on a regulation laying down provisions for the management of expenditure relating to the food chain, animal health and animal welfare, and relating to plant health and plant reproductive material with a view to an agreement with the European Parliament this semester on this issue;
• Continue the work on the package of food chain legislation, including regulations on official control, on animal health, on protective measures against plant pests, and on the production and marketing of plant reproductive material.