The Agriculture and Fisheries Council convenes on a monthly basis and is presided by the Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries of all Member States. Each Presidency also organizes an informal ministerial meeting in its own country. During the Portuguese Presidency this meeting is scheduled for the 16 to 18 September, in Oporto. Click here to know more about this meeting.

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was set up in the 1950s in the post-war period, when a guaranteed food supply for the population was one of the basic concerns. The aim of the CAP was to increase productivity in the food sector and provide farmers with a reasonable standard of living and consumers with food at fair prices. Over time, though these goals have been met, certain maladjustments arose in a Europe and world in constant evolution.

The successive CAP reforms meanwhile performed have gradually adapted it to the challenges of a larger Europe with greater diversity in an increasingly global society with rising concerns and demands in terms of food safety, environmental and animal protection and the rebalancing of territories and the rural world.

The CAP reform that began in 2003 has rendered it simpler and more transparent and encourages a search for greater sustainability and clear market reorientation, focusing on rural development policy. It also gives EU citizens a better idea of the services that farmers provide society by guaranteeing safe, high-quality food products, maintaining rural areas and preserving the environment and the landscape.

This European agricultural model must, however, be allowed to follow its course of continuous assessment and seek appropriate responses to the challenges of a constantly evolving global society with new players, new technologies and more demanding consumers, while also guaranteeing competitive, socially and environmentally sustainable, territorially balanced activity.

The Common Fisheries Policy was profoundly reformed in 2002. The main goal of Regulation 2371/2002 of 20 December on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy is to «ensure exploitation of living aquatic resources that provides sustainable economic, environmental and social conditions».

The new Common Fisheries Policy adopts a long-term approach to fisheries management, a new fleet policy and greater standardisation in the application of fisheries rules and increases the participation of fishermen and other players in the sector by setting up regional advisory councils, which are already in operation.

But the reform process continues in order to meet the new challenges that fisheries will have to face.

- Priorities of the Portuguese Presidency for Common Agricultural Policy
- Priorities of the Portuguese Presidency for Common Fisheries Policy
- Priorities of the Portuguese Presidency for Forestry Policy
- Priorities of the Portuguese Presidency for Food Safety and Plant and Animal Protection

Priorities of the Portuguese Presidency for Common Agricultural Policy

With the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy that began in 2003 and the Financial Perspectives for 2007-2013, the European Union has established long-term prospects for the development of economically and socially sustainable, environmentally friendly, market-oriented agriculture throughout the European territory. The Portuguese Presidency will continue this process.

Current CAP reforms

The Portuguese Presidency will work hard to achieve consensus on a reform of the common market organisation for wine that will ensure that the sector is sustainable and competitive, through greater market orientation of production, focus on and defence of the European tradition of quality production and the socio-cultural and environmental importance of wine in the EU’s winegrowing regions. The adoption of this new regulation will complete the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy that began in 2003.

The Portuguese Presidency intends to lead the negotiations on the proposals for adjustments of Market Organizations in the Sugar, Milk and Dairy Products sectors, aiming at its conclusion, and will start the debate on the revision of aid arrangements for the cotton sector.

Simplification of the CAP

Following the conclusions on cross-compliance adopted by the June Council, the Portuguese Presidency will work towards adopting its simplification proposals.

The revision of the regulations on the promotion of agricultural products and the regulations on the CAP funding will be important steps towards greater simplification and can be expected to be adopted during the Portuguese Presidency.

Health check

The implementation of the CAP reform will be assessed in a Commission document to be presented before the end of the Portuguese Presidency.

This is an opportunity not only to make a thorough assessment of its implementation but also to consider its future after 2013.

We shall be facing profound differences regarding what is expected from a Community policy for the rural world and we shall encourage a wide, constructive debate in order to establish appropriate and positive guidelines for the future of the sector.

Priorities of the Portuguese Presidency for Common Fisheries Policy

As a Member State with a great tradition of sea activities, namely fishing, Portugal will seek, during its Presidency, to contribute to the attainment of the objectives set out during the revision of the Common Fisheries Policy. It will take into consideration the new challenges that always rise in an activity that is highly contingent and dependent on so many external factors.

In spite of its vastness, the oceans are vulnerable and its resources limited. The sustainability of its resources is definitely one of the priorities of the Portuguese Presidency.

Following the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy, the Portuguese Presidency will seek to ensure that exploitation of live aquatic resources is sustainable not just economically but also from an environmental and social standpoint.

Particular attention will be given to the following areas:

Biological sustainability of fishing resources:

• To set out, for 2008, fishing possibilities and associated conditions, in relation to certain fish populations;
• Recovery plan for blue-fin tuna in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea;
• Communitarian framework for the gathering, management and use of data in the fishing sector, essential to follow the Common Fisheries Policies;
• Fight against illegal fishing, non-regulated and non-declared (IUU Fishing);
• Multilateral cooperation, namely within the Regional Fishing Organizations;
• Bilateral cooperation with third countries within the framework of the accords;
• Simplification process of the Common Fisheries Policy;
• Market measures;
• Authorization for fishing activities.

With the help of the Commission and the collaboration of all Member States, Portugal expects to finish the debate to establish fishing possibilities for 2008 in an efficient manner, with solutions that are in conformity with the resources and the fair expectations of communitarian fishermen.

The fight against illegal, non-regulated and non-declared fishing is one of the concerns of the Portuguese Presidency and the Commission. Therefore, the Commission will present a legislative package that is the basis for the work in a Ministerial Conference presided by the Portuguese Presidency, which will take place next October, in the Algarve.

It is necessary to create a general communitarian system for the authorization of fishing activities outside community waters, so that the obligations set out in International Accords and the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy are duly carried out.

In those Organizations, the European Union must take on a responsible defence of the interests of communitarian fishermen.

With these goals in mind, Portugal will organize the NAFO Annual Meeting – North-western Atlantic Fishing Organization, in Lisbon, on 24 to 28 September.

Priorities of the Portuguese Presidency for Forestry Policy

Forestry and its downstream industry contribute to the economic development of vast rural regions of the EU and the rest of the world. The sustainable use of forestry resources, more competitive forest products and the preservation of biological diversity are goals to be defended. The Portuguese Presidency should therefore:

• Implement the EU Action Plan for FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade), which relates illegal felling of trees to good governance in third countries and the possibilities of access to the internal EU market

• Cooperate with international institutions like the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought (UNCCD).

Priotities of the Portuguese Presidency Food Safety and Plant and Animal Protection

The discussion of the Animal Health Strategy, with emphasis on priority intervention in the fight against zoonoses and their repercussions on the Veterinary Fund, is aimed at a modern European framework for animal health policy – prevention, vigilance and the fight against diseases in animals and the identification of priorities in the fields of finance, innovation and research. The Commission will issue a communication and its discussion will evaluate the need to set up a legislative framework and applicable co-finance schemes for a better prevention policy in the EU.

There will also be extensive discussion on the need to update the regulations in the use of certain substances having a hormonal action in pet and food-producing animals.

The Presidency will work hard on legislation on the circulation and labelling in the field of animal nutrition, with particular attention to increasing safety, competitiveness and innovation in the sector. Where the regulation of foodstuffs is concerned, we will finalise the discussion of the proposal on food flavourings under the FIAP - Food Improvement Agents Package, which includes draft common authorisation procedures and regulations on additives and enzymes.

The Presidency will also work in earnest on the proposal to be submitted by the Commission on novel foods, aiming to simplify approval procedures, while continuing to ensure food safety.

In the area of crop protection, we will continue the discussion of the Framework Directive on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides and the Regulation on the market placement of Plant Protection Products with a view to reaching a political agreement in the Council in codecision with the European Parliament.

Finally, at an international level, the Presidency will give continuity to the ongoing works, namely the bilateral EU accords within the SPS framework (Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures) – and negotiations with third countries and on a multilateral level of the Codex Alimentarius, IOE – International Organization of Epizootiology and the ICPP – International Convention of Plant Protection.