Brendan Smith
Question:135 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry his priorities for his term as President of the European Council of Agriculture Ministers. [13917/96]
Written Answers. - European Council Priorities.
My overall objective during Ireland's forthcoming Presidency will be to further the interests of the agriculture, food and forestry sectors in the Union generally and in Ireland by the efficient and effective conduct of the Council's business.
A major priority of the Irish Presidency will be to achieve a satisfactory resolution of the difficulties in the beef sector arising from BSE, including a restoration of consumer confidence in beef and changes in the market organisation which will better suit the sector in the longer term. The finalisation of the 1996-97 prices package and the reform of the fruit and vegetables sector on which the June Council meeting failed to reach agreement will also be given priority attention.
A further priority will be to secure a satisfactory outcome to the debate within the Council on the reports which the Commission is required to carry out on the application of the quota system in the sheepmeat sector and of the quotas transfer and national reserve arrangement for the suckler cow premium and to bring any resultant Commission proposals to a satisfactory conclusion.
Other priorities of direct interest to Irish agriculture will be the finalisation of a number of proposals in the veterinary area relating to food safety, animal welfare and trade, the siting of a new EU veterinary agency in Ireland and agreement on a common organisation of the market in potatoes. There will also be a number of major issues such as the reform of the market organisations for wine, olive oil and tobacco which, though of less direct concern to Ireland, I intend to pursue as priorities during the Irish Presidency.