EU: Agriculture and Fisheries Council
House of Lords

Lord Taylor of Holbeach (Whip, House of Lords; Conservative)

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Caroline Spelman) has today made the following Statement.

The next Agriculture and Fisheries Council is on Monday 18 June in Luxembourg and is the last under the Danish presidency. My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food (Jim Paice) will represent the UK. Richard Lochhead MSP and Alun Davies AM will also attend.

The main item on 18 June will be the presentation and discussion of the presidency's report of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This is expected to highlight areas of emerging agreement, as well as key issues remaining to be addressed under the forthcoming Cypriot presidency.

There will also be an orientation debate on the proposed rural development regulation as part of the CAP reform package. The debate is expected to address the issues of the level of spend under Pillar 2 that will have to be focussed on environmental outcomes and whether funds transferred from Pillar 1 to Pillar 2 need to be subject to national co-financing.

There are two COREPER points down for possible discussion and the adoption of council conclusions: the 2012-15 EU Animal Welfare Strategy and the protection of animals during transport.

Under any other business there are five confirmed items:

an update from the Commission on the implementation of the group housing of sows by 1 January 2013;report from the presidency on the G20 meeting in Mexico City 17 and 18 May 2012;presentation from the presidency on animal health aspects of Health Council conclusions on the impact of antimicrobial resistance on the human health and veterinary sector and;a Commission report on the application of a council regulation on organic production and labelling; andreports from Poland and Lithuania regarding the situation in the milk and dairy market.