The Consultative Council of Agriculture analyzes the community work in relation to the regulations of the future PAC
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has chaired the Agricultural Policy Advisory Council where he discussed with the councilors of the autonomous regions the points to be discussed in the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers next week in Brussels .
Among these matters, the Council will continue the deliberations on the package of reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy post 2020, with regard to the regulations on the strategic plans, on the common organization of markets for agricultural products and the horizontal regulation.
The minister noted that, taking into account the delay in the work of the European Parliament, Spain’s position is that the Council should not conclude a reform package of the three regulations before knowing the final proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2021 -2027.
Likewise, Planas considers that this package of three regulations should not be subject to separation. “I think that if there is a global negotiation package it is not positive to separate any piece,” he stressed.
The Consultative Council has also exchanged views on the debate that will take place within the Community Council in relation to the new Strategy of the European Union for the development of a sustainable and circular bioeconomy at the service of society, the environment and the economy of Europe.
This strategy, which was presented by the European Commission last October, includes actions in different areas such as food security, the sustainable use of natural resources, the reduction of dependence on non-renewable resources, the mitigation and adaptation to climate change, the strengthening of competitiveness and the creation of employment.
The minister recalled that Spain has since 2015 a Horizon 2030 Strategy, with three main objectives: the reduction of food waste, the use of biomass and the recovery of by-products and waste.
Also, at the meeting of the Advisory Board has addressed the request to be made by the Dutch delegation to discuss the decision of the Technical Chamber of Resources of the European Patent Office in relation to the possibility of patenting the results of classical techniques of improvement vegetable.
The olive oil market
On the other hand, Planas has assured that the Ministry, together with the autonomous communities that produce olive oil,
wich is characterized by a fall in prices, despite being a campaign with a normal production, which also coincides with production reductions in other Mediterranean countries.
Based on this monitoring, the minister added, the measures that are possible and necessary will be adopted. Planas has insisted on the need to follow this phenomenon very closely to locate where the cause of this situation is, “unfair for the producers who have done their job well”.
In relation to exports of citrus products, Planas has underlined the importance of equivalence, effectiveness and correspondence from the point of view of the approval in the use of plant protection products. It has also been shown in favor of the absolute control of the possible existence of pests in imports in European Union territory.
In this regard, on January 1, 2019, the new import certificates at source for all exports to EU territory came into force.
In any case, Planas believes that we are not facing a campaign crisis but structural, “and we have to take structural measures.” For the minister, “the existence of a strong and active interprofession in the sector is a fundamental factor from the point of view of the functioning of the citrus market”.
