Press release
Minister McConalogue attends the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, is attending a meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council today in Luxembourg, where the latest developments on trade-related agricultural issues will be among the issues to be discussed.
As the EU-Australia Free Trade Agreements progress through the final rounds of negotiations, speaking in Luxembourg, Minister McConalogue said:
“The key point that I want to emphasise today is the importance of ensuring that the cumulative impact of preferential access for sensitive products provided in all European Free Trade Agreements is fully taken into account in any ongoing negotiations. With this in mind, I particularly urge the Commission to minimise the additional beef and sheepmeat access to be offered to Australia in the context of concluding the current Free Trade Agreement negotiations."
With respect to other Free Trade Agreements, Minister McConalogue reiterated the call to ensure robust commitments on sustainability in Mercosur negotiations. He said:
"I fully support the Commission's ongoing efforts to secure strong sustainability commitments from Mercosur. The additional instrument on sustainability commitments needs to be substantial and robust."
Today’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council also discussed the progress on the proposed Regulation on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products, proposed Regulations on Geographical Indications, Labelling of Organic Pet Food and the conversion to a Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN), as well as the current market situation in the agricultural sector, amongst other items.
It also discussed the state of play of the Common Fisheries Policy and consultation on fishing opportunities for 2024, as well as proposed conclusions on the fisheries policy package.