The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Elizabeth Truss)
The next Agriculture and Fisheries Council will be on 13 July in Brussels. My hon. Friend, Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (George Eustice) who is responsible for farming, food and the marine environment, will represent the UK.
As the provisional agenda stands, the following items will be discussed.
There will be a state of play item on the proposals for a regulation on the aid scheme for the supply of fruit and vegetables, banana and milk in educational establishments, and a regulation on fixing certain aids and refunds related to the common organisation of the markets in agricultural products. There will be a presentation from the Commission, followed by an exchange of views, on the proposal for member states to restrict or prohibit the use of genetically modified food and feed on their territory. The Commission will also provide an update on market developments, taking into account the extension of the Russian import ban on EU agricultural products.
There are currently four confirmed any other business items:
Situation on the dairy market (requested by Czech Republic and Poland).
The future of the sugar sector in the EU (requested by Italy).
Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM) on sustainable management and use of forests in policy and practice (requested by Slovenia).
Plant breeders’ rights and the European Patent Office’s decision (requested by the Netherlands).
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