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Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides and Ministers at the Council of Ministers on 27/01/2020 stressed the need to introduce global measures against the spread of African swine fever (ASF). Research, public awareness and open and transparent international cooperation should be key aspects. Since 18/11/2019, the disease has not spread in 10 EU Member States except PL, but uncontrolled spread has occurred in Asia. The Commissioner concluded that there would be no reduction in funding or efforts to address the problem of ASF, since 2013 the European Commission has already allocated $ 100 million to fight the spread of the disease.
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Last week, German Minister of Agriculture Julia Klöckner confirmed Germany's plan to pay up to EUR 1 billion to farmers to support the move towards more environmentally sustainable agriculture. The aid will be targeted at farmers who will comply with the rules on reducing the amount of fertilizer used. According to Klöckner, it is essential to strengthen the sustainability of the agricultural sector but strengthening demands on farmers must be financially compensated.
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On 29/01/2020, the European Parliament approved an agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU on 31/01/2020. The agreement was approved by 621 votes to 49, with 13 abstentions. The transitional period will run from 01/02/2020 to 31/12/2020. Any agreement on the future EU-UK relationship will have to be concluded before the end of the transitional period if it is to enter into force on 01/01/2021. The transitional period may be extended by one to two years, but the decision must be taken by 01/07/2020. The number of seats in the European Parliament will now fall from 751 to 705.
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US Agriculture Minister Sonny Perdue, called on ministers to review food and agricultural standards in the EU-US trade during an informal working lunch at the EU Council of Ministers of Agriculture in Brussels on 27/01/2020. He asked to communicate clearly of positives of American agricultural products to the public, which is concerned about the US's looser access to genetically modified organisms (GMO) technologies or US-approved hormones. Minister Perdue recalled that US President Donald Trump turned his attention to the EU, seeking to address the US-EU trade deficit of $ 10 to 12 billion in trade in agricultural products. Failure to reach agreement threatens to increase tariffs on cars imported from the EU. Minister Perdue also advocated the use of the CRISPR plant breeding technique, which he described as a ‘essentially a natural breeding technique that’s just expedited’. Perdue also met in Brussels with Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides, and Commissioner for Trade Phil Hogan. During the meeting of President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen with President Trump in Washington, agriculture is expected to be one of the main topics of negotiations on EU-US relations.
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The Ministers of Agriculture will meet on 27/01/2020 at the Council of Ministers, the first under the Croatian Presidency. Ministers will be informed about the priorities of the Croatian Presidency, HR will continue to discuss the future shape of the CAP, with a view to reaching agreement on the Council's position on the legislative package. Following the publication of the European Green Deal, HR will discuss the tools and options for how the CAP and agriculture can contribute to achieving the EU's stated objectives of a climate-neutral, sustainable and circular economy. Consumer protection and food safety will also be important areas. Ministers will discuss the agricultural aspects of the Green Deal and the regulation on the CAP transitional period. Finally, ministers will discuss the outcomes of the high-level international conference "The Future of global pork production under the threat of African swine fever", Joint Declaration DE, FR, and EC on CAP issues linked to the European Green Deal and PT and SI information on the EU labelling of honey.