European Parliament 2019-2024 Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development AGRI_PV(2020)1207_1 MINUTES Meeting of 7 December 2020, 16.45-18.45 BRUSSELS The meeting opened at 16.49 on Monday, 7 December 2020, with Norbert Lins (Chair) presiding. 1. Adoption of agenda AGRI_OJ(2020)1207_1 The agenda was adopted in the form shown in these minutes. 2. Chair's announcements Interpretation was available in 13 languages: FR, DE, IT, NL, EN, ES, PT, FI, CS, LT, PL, BG and RO. The recommendations made by AGRI Coordinators on 1 December 2020 were approved. 3. State of play of ongoing trilogue negotiations Horizontal regulation - 2018/0217(COD) • Reporting back to committee on the negotiations (Rule 74(3)) Speakers: Ulrike Müller and Norbert Lins 4. State of play of ongoing trilogue negotiations CAP Strategic Plans - 2018/0216(COD) • Reporting back to committee on the negotiations (Rule 74(3)) Speakers: Peter Jahr and Norbert Lins PV\1227801EN.docx PE663.397 EN United in diversityEN 5. State of play of ongoing trilogue negotiations CMO - 2018/0218(COD) • Reporting back to committee on the negotiations (Rule 74(3)) Speakers: Eric Andrieu and Norbert Lins 6. Public Hearing on "EU agriculture after Brexit" (see separate programme) Speakers: Norbert Lins, Marcel van der Vliet (President European Liaison Committee for Agricultural and Agri-Food Trade (CELCAA)), Paul Kelly (Chair of Food Drink Europe (FDE) Competitiveness Committee; Director Food Drink Ireland), Tim Cullinan (Member of the COPA Praesidium; President of the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA)), Georges Vassilakis (DG AGRI, European Commission), Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez, Ulrike Müller, Ivan David, Martin Häusling, Zbigniew Kuźmiuk, Luke Ming Flanagan, Benoît Lutgen, Maria Noichl, Martin Hlaváček. 7. Approval of recommendations issued by AGRI Coordinators during their meeting of 1 December 2020 1. DISCUSSION WITH COMMISSIONER WOJCIECHOWSKI ON THE CAP TRILOGUES Outcome: The Commissioner attended the 1st part of the Coordinators’ meeting for a discussion dedicated to the CAP trilogues. 2. REPORT 2.1 Implementation report on animal welfare Decision: Coordinators agreed to request the extension of the authorisation until the end of November 2021 (current authorisation ends in 2 April 2021). 3. OPINION 3.1. IMCO INI on tackling non-tariff barriers in the Single Market Decision: Coordinators decided to give an opinion to this INI. The opinion is allocated to Renew for 1 point. 4. REQUESTS FOR ITEMS TO BE INCLUDED IN UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDAS 4.1. Mink sector situation in the context of the current Covid crisis Decision: Coordinators decided to invite EFSA, ECDC and DG SANTE to a future ComAGRI meeting to brief Members on this sanitary situation at EU level. 5. MISCELLANEOUS DECISIONS PE663.397 2/12 PV\1227801EN.docx EN 5.1. Oral Question - End of derogation for unlicensed slaughter establishments Decision: Coordinators validated the Oral Question with a view to table it for the December plenary. 6. PETITIONS Follow-up to 2 petitions included for information in the note of 7 July 6.1. Petition No 1188/2019 by Csaba Borboly (Romanian), bearing 4 signatures, on the management of the brown bears in Romania 6.2. Petition No 0074/2020 by Josef Hechenberger (Austrian), on behalf of the Tyrol Chamber of Agriculture, on the protected status of the wolf Decision: Coordinators agreed to make a statement to these petitions through the form of letter. Petitions for information 6.3. Petition No 0652/2020 by U. B-W. (German), on behalf of the Höhenberg Ökologische Bildungsstätte (Ecological Educational Institution), bearing four signatures, on abolishing the requirement for soil mulching in agriculture to help protect the environment 6.4. Petition No 0482/2020 by M.B. (Austrian) on the different kinds of European nitrate measuring systems 6.5. Petition No 0490/2020 by E.W. (Austrian) on the different kinds of European nitrate measuring systems 6.6. Petition No 0491/2020 by C.R. (German), signed by 17 others, on the different kinds of European nitrate measuring systems 6.7. Petition No 0499/2020 by Christof Christensen (German) on the different kinds of European nitrate measuring systems 6.8. Petition 0535/2020 by K.E. (German) on the different kinds of European nitrate measuring systems 6.9. Petition No 0592/2020 by Dragomir Drumev (Bulgarian) on the beekeeping sector in Bulgaria Decision: The AGRI Committee will take note of the above-mentioned petitions and its Chair will inform the Chair of the PETI Committee that it has done so. Coordinators were informed that PETI will issue a study on European nitrate measuring systems PV\1227801EN.docx 3/12 PE663.397 EN 7. OTHER DOCUMENTS FOR INFORMATION Decision: No action with respect to any of the documents included in Annex I. 8. FOR INFORMATION 8.1. ENVI opposition to the public hearing on methane Coordinators found a letter from Mr Canfin to Mr Tajani in which ENVI opposes to the organisation of the public hearing on "Calculating biogenic methane emissions in agriculture" following a decision from the ENVI Coordinators of 16 November. 8.2. Hearing “End of the cage age” Commission Decision (EU) 2018/1222 of 5 September 2018 registered the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘End the Cage Age’. The Initiative result was submitted to the Commission on 2 October 2020, after having gathered the support of 1 397 113 signatories in 18 Member States. Among other things, the Initiative calls on the Commission to end harsh treatment of hundreds of millions of EU farmed animals that are kept in cages for most of their lives and to propose a legislation to prohibit its use. Discussion with the organisers of the End the Cage Age is planned for Thursday 3 December to discuss the organisation of the hearing, planned for 1 February 2021 in a virtual format. 8.3. Calendar of ComAGRI meetings January-July 2021 Coordinators found in Annex III the AGRI calendar 2021 with possible ComAGRI meetings from January to July 2021. Coordinators were kindly informed that the planification of the ComAGRI meetings is rather fluctuant and essentially depends on the resources available, which became even more limited due to the increased number of committees and their related requests for committee meetings, shadows meetings and trilogues. 8.4. Studies in 2021 Coordinators will soon be consulted by written procedure on the topic of studies to be launched in 2021. 8.5. ECA Special Report 23/2019: Farmers’ income stabilisation: comprehensive set of tools, but low uptake of instruments and overcompensation need to be tackled On 18 February 2020, Coordinators decided to invite the responsible ECA Member for an exchange of views on this Special Report at a future ComAGRI meeting. Due to the sanitary situation and the limited possibilities for organising committee meetings, this item was not considered as a priority and is now outdated. The Secretariat will then take this item out of the agenda planning of future ComAGRI meetings. 9. ANY OTHER BUSINESS PE663.397 4/12 PV\1227801EN.docx EN *** ANNEX I 7.1. Agreement between the European Union and the government of the People's Republic of China on cooperation on, and protection of, geographical indications 7.2. Contribution from the Bavarian parliament on Commission consultation “Evaluation of the EU agricultural promotion policy” 7.3. Committee of the Regions’ first “EU annual regional and local barometer” 7.4. Proposal for a Council decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the International Sugar Council concerning the accession of the United Kingdom to the International Sugar Agreement, 1992 - COM(2020)671 7.5. Proposal for a resolution on the implementation of measures aimed at strengthening the forest-wood supply chain and promoting sustainable forest management - Gianantonio Da Re - B9 0342/2020 7.6. Proposal for a Council decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the General Council of the World Trade Organisation as regards the adoption of a decision exempting certain purchases of foodstuffs from application of export prohibitions or restrictions - COM(2020)729 7.7. Amending letter n°1 to the draft general budget 2021 - Adjustments resulting from the recent political agreement between the EP and the Council on the MFF 2021-2027 - Updated estimated needs for agricultural expenditure - Other adjustments and technical updates - COM(2020)748 7.8. Letter from Mr Clauss to President Sassoli: Council’s position on the draft budget 2021 - non approval of all the amendments adopted by the EP 7.9. Communication from the Commission to the EP and the Council on New Consumer Agenda Strengthening consumer resilience for sustainable recovery - COM(2020)696 7.10. Proposal for a Council regulation on amending Regulation (EU) No 1388/2013 opening and providing for the management of autonomous tariff quotas of the Union for certain agricultural and industrial products - COM(2020)708 7.11. Proposal for a Council regulation on amending Regulation (EU) No 1387/2013 suspending the autonomous Common Customs Tariff duties on certain agricultural and industrial products - COM(2020)737 7.12. Adoption of a Council decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the International Sugar Council concerning the accession of the United Kingdom to the International Sugar Agreement, 1992 PV\1227801EN.docx 5/12 PE663.397 EN 7.13. Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on EAGF expenditure - Early Warning System N 7-10/2020 - COM(2020)771 7.14. Opinion of the Czech Parliament on the Farm to Fork Strategy 7.15. Non opinion from the Committee of the Regions on the European Climate Law 7.16. Adoption of a Council decision establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union with regard to certain resolutions to be voted at the 18th General Assembly of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), to be held on 26 November 2020 - 12752/20 7.17.