Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The EU’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council meets in Luxembourg to discuss fishing limits, agricultural policies, and food supply challenges on October 21-22, 2024.
The European Union’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council will gather in Luxembourg on 21-22 October 2024. As reported by the EU Council, Fisheries ministers will examine fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea, to reach a political consensus on catch limits for 2025. Additionally, they will also exchange ideas on the upcoming session of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).
As far as agriculture is concerned, the Council will seek to support a set of conclusions on a farmer-focused post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Moreover, the Council will discuss the major challenges the EU food chain is confronting, as well as trade-related agricultural issues.
How will the EU manage trade-related agricultural issues this year?
The Agriculture and Fisheries Council assumes legislation in several areas relating to the production of food, rural development and the administration of fisheries. The AGRIFISH Council brings together ministers from each EU member state. Most member states are designated by a single minister for both sectors, although some send two ministers – one for agriculture and another for fisheries.
The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, and the European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries also take part in discussions. The Council assumes legislation, in most cases together with the European Parliament, in several areas connecting to the production of food, rural development and the management of fisheries.
Dimensions under the agricultural policy include the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), controls on the internal market for agriculture, forestry, organic production, quality of production and food and animal feed safety. Measures linking to CAP aim to improve agricultural productivity, ensure a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, stabilise markets, ensure the availability of supplies and ensure that supplies reach consumers at reasonable prices.
The Council also assumes legislation on fisheries policy, the background of annual Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and allocations for each species, and on the allocation of fishing opportunities. A fundamental challenge is to make fisheries more environmentally tolerable and more economically viable while addressing topics such as over-fishing and fleet overcapacity.
