My right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs represented the United Kingdom at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels on 25 April 2006.

The Council adopted a proposal to broaden the scope of the current provision for exceptional measures in the poultry meat and eggs sectors to help them through a drop in sales caused by consumer fears about avian influenza. I supported the proposals but stressed that the measures should be limited in time and in budget. The Commission tabled a declaration saying that measures already adopted by member states would be considered for co-financing on a case-by-case basis, and that serious market disturbance would be defined at EU, not member state level.

The Council held an exchange of views on a Commission Communication on improving the economic situation in the fishing industry which proposed a range of short and long term measures. I led calls from several member states that measures should deliver a profitable industry which can pay for its own investments and which was characterised by fleet capacity to match available resources.

The Council also held an exchange of views on the Commission's action plan for simplifying the Common Fisheries Policy. The action plan focuses on efforts including process changes to improve the quality of the annual quota decision.

The Council held a policy debate on Commission proposals for a management plan for plaice and sole in the North sea, on the basis of a questionnaire drawn up by the presidency. The proposal aims to manage the fisheries exploiting the stocks of North sea plaice and sole so that they are rebuilt to—and then maintained—within safe biological limits. UK Government views have been submitted to the Commission in writing.

Under any other business, in the absence the Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection the Council took note of a written update on avian influenza H5N1 in the European Union and third countries.

The Agriculture Commissioner updated the Council on progress in the WTO agricultural negotiations. She said that the 30 April deadline agreed in Hong Kong for modalities would not be met but stressed that the EU offer from last October still remained on the table.