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Europaudvalget 2014-15 (1. samling)
Rådsmøde 3337 - landbrug og fiskeri
Offentligt

Council of the

European Union

14199/14

(OR. en)

PRESSE 518

PR CO 49

PRESS RELEASE

3337th Council meeting

Agriculture and Fisheries

Luxembourg, 13 October 2014

President

Maurizio MARTINA

Minister for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy

PRESS

Rue de la Loi 175 B – 1048 BRUSSELS Tel.: +32 (0)2 281 6319 Fax: +32 (0)2 281 8026

[email protected] http://www.consilium.europa.eu/press

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13 October 2014

Main results of the Council

Fisheries

The Council reached a political agreement on

fishing opportunities for 2015 for certain fish

stocks in the Baltic Sea.

The quantities of fish from specific stocks that can be caught take into

account available scientific advice and, for the first time, provisions introduced by the recently

reformed Common Fisheries Policy, such as the landing obligation and maximum sustainable yield

(MSY).

The president of the Council, Mr Martina underscored that "the

regulation on TACs and quotas for

the Baltic is the first to be discussed after the entry into force of the new common fisheries policy

(CFP). It thus becomes an important tool for its implementation, having regard to all the

innovations introduced."

Furthermore, ministers acknowledged that the

Russian embargo on EU fishing products

will have

consequences on the management of certain of those fish stocks.

The Council also held an exchange of views on

EU-Norway annual consultations

and the

ICCAT

annual meeting.

Agriculture

The Council discussed the impact and implications of the

Russian ban on imports of EU

agricultural products.

Most of the member states recognised the appropriateness of the emergency

market measures on fruit and vegetables and the milk sector decided by the Commission. However,

in the milk sector some of the most affected countries called for additional measures to mitigate the

significant fall in prices observed in their market.

The Council also:

–

held an exchange of views on the situation of African swine fever (ASF) in the EU;

held a debate on the contribution of the agricultural sector to the mid-term review of the

Europe 2020 strategy.

Ministers were also briefed on

international agricultural trade issues.

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Other items

The Council adopted a regulation on

promotion measures for agricultural products

following a

first reading agreement with the European Parliament. This regulation renews the legal framework

for the promotion of EU agricultural products on the internal market and in third countries in the

context of the very competitive environment the EU faces today.

Mr Martina noted, "With

the adoption of the new legal framework regarding information and

promotion actions for agricultural products in the internal market and third countries, I believe that

we have achieved the goal of improving the competitiveness of agriculture in the EU so as to

achieve greater equity."

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13 October 2014

CONTENTS

PARTICIPANTS................................................................................................................................ 6

ITEMS DEBATED

FISHERIES .......................................................................................................................................... 8

Fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2015.................................................................................. 8

EU/Norway: annual consultations for 2015 ....................................................................................... 10

ICCAT annual meeting ...................................................................................................................... 11

AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................................................... 12

Mid-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy .................................................................................. 12

International agricultural trade issues ................................................................................................ 13

African swine fever ............................................................................................................................ 14

Any other business ............................................................................................................................. 15

–

Russian ban on EU agricultural products .............................................................................................................. 15

International Olive Council negotiations ............................................................................................................... 15

Russian ban on EU fisheries products ................................................................................................................... 16

Russian actions against an EU fishing vessel ........................................................................................................ 16

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

AGRICULTURE

–

Promotion measures for agricultural products ....................................................................................................... 17

Member states' checks of agricultural expenditure ................................................................................................ 17

Use of animal by-products in organic fertilisers.................................................................................................... 17

International agreement on olive oil - Position of the EU ..................................................................................... 18



Where declarations, conclusions or resolutions have been formally adopted by the Council, this is indicated

in the heading for the item concerned and the text is placed between quotation marks.



Documents for which references are given in the text are available on the Council's Internet site

(http://www.consilium.europa.eu).



Acts adopted with statements for the Council minutes which may be released to the public are indicated by

an asterisk; these statements are available on the Council's Internet site or may be obtained from the Press

Office.

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TRADE POLICY

–

Agreement with Colombia and Peru - Accession of Croatia ................................................................................. 18

WTO agreement on government procurement: Montenegro and New Zealand .................................................... 18

TRANSPORT

–

Inland transport of dangerous goods ..................................................................................................................... 19

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PARTICIPANTS

Belgium:

Ms Joke SCHAUVLIEGE

Mr Willy BORSUS

Bulgaria:

Mr Vassil GROUDEV

Czech Republic:

Ms Jaroslava BENEŠ ŠPALKOVÁ

Denmark:

Mr Dan JØRGENSEN

Germany:

Mr Robert KLOOS

Estonia:

Ms Keit PENTUS-ROSIMANNUS

Mr Ivari PADAR

Ireland:

Mr Simon COVENEY

Greece:

Mr Georgios KARASMANIS

Spain:

Isabel GARCĺA TEJERINA

France:

Mr Alexis DURTERTRE

Croatia:

Ms Snježana ŠPANJOL

Italy:

Mr Maurizio MARTINA

Cyprus:

Mr Nicos KOUYIALIS

Latvia:

Mr Jānis DŪKLAVS

Lithuania:

Ms Virginija BALTRAITIENĖ

Luxembourg:

Mr Fernand ETGEN

Hungary:

Mr György CZERVÁN

Malta:

Mr Roderick GALDES

Deputy Minister for Agriculture

Flemish Minister for the Environment, Nature and Culture

Minister for Middle Class, Independents, SMEs,

Agriculture and Social Integration

Minister for Agriculture and Food

Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries

State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture

Minister for the Environment

Minister for Agriculture

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Minister of Rural Development and Food

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Environment

Deputy Permanent Representative

Deputy Minister for Agriculture

Minister for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy

Minister for Agriculture, Natural Resources and

Environment

Minister for Agriculture

Minister for Agriculture, Viticulture and Consumer

Protection, Minister for Relations with the Parliament

State Secretary for the Agricultural Economy, Ministry of

Rural Development

Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and

Animal Rights within the Ministry for Sustainable

Development, the Environment and Climate Change

Minister for Agriculture

Deputy Permanent Representative

Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development

Netherlands:

Ms Sharon DIJKSMA

Austria:

Mr Gregor SCHUSTERSCHITZ

Poland:

Mr Marek SAWICKI

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Portugal:

Ms Assunção CRISTAS

Mr Manuel PINTO DE ABREU

Romania:

Mr Peter Tamas NAGY

Slovenia:

Ms Tanja STRNIŠA

Slovakia:

Mr �½ubomír JAHNÁTEK

Finland:

Mr Petteri ORPO

Sweden:

Mr Sven-Erik BUCHT

United Kingdom:

Mr George EUSTICE

Mr Richard LOCHHEAD

Minister for Agriculture and Maritime Affairs

State Secretary for Maritime Affairs

State Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural

Development

State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry

and Food

Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development

Minister for Agriculture and Forestry

Minister for Rural Affairs

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Farming, Food

and Marine Environment, Department for Environment,

Food and Rural Affairs

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment

Commission:

Ms Maria DAMANAKI

Mr Dacian CIOLOŞ

Member

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ITEMS DEBATED

FISHERIES

Fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2015

Ministers reached a political agreement on fishing opportunities for 2015 for certain fish stocks in

the Baltic Sea.

The Presidency and several member states pointed out that the final agreement was made possible

by the preparatory work undertaken at regional level within the BALTFISH forum.

This item will be included, following finalisation by the Legal/Linguistic Experts, in part "A" of the

agenda for a forthcoming Council meeting.

The agreement lays down for 2015 the maximum quantities of fish from specific stocks that can be

caught in the Baltic Sea (total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas), as well as the fishing effort

limits for Baltic cod stocks (limiting fishing activity by reducing the number of days at sea). The

proposed measures have been established taking into account available scientific advice and, in

particular, the reports drawn up by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)

and the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF).

A landing obligation for stocks caught in certain fisheries was introduced by regulation 1380/2013

within the framework of the recently reformed common fisheries policy (CFP). It becomes

applicable from 1 January 2015 for some stocks in the Baltic Sea, namely small pelagic fisheries

(herring and sprat stocks), salmon fisheries (salmon stocks), and cod fisheries (cod stocks), where

the species define the fishery. With the introduction of the landing obligation, the fishing

opportunities proposed will reflect the change from amount landed to amount caught.

The agreement primarily concerns the total allowable catches (TACs) and fishing quotas for

member states in Community waters of the Baltic region, the main changes to which – in terms of

reduction, increase or roll-over of TACs as compared with 2014 – are summarised in the table

below. An important fact to be noted is the voluntary lower increase for herring (45% instead of the

51% proposed by the Commission in the Eastern Baltic and 15% instead of the 35% proposed in the

Gulf of Bothnia) and the voluntary decrease for salmon (-10% instead of the -8% proposed in

subdivision III bcd) and cod (-22% instead of the -20% proposed in the Eastern Baltic).

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COMMUNITY TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCHES (TACs) IN THE BALTIC SEA FOR 2015

COMMISSION

proposal

Latin name

ICES FISHING ZONES

TAC

2014

in tonnes

137 800

19 754

112 725

30 720

65 934

17 037

3 409

106 587

13 106

239 979

for 2015

in tonnes

186 534

22 220

170 185

38 780

52 747

8 793

3 249

97 911

10 034

199 622

COMMISSION

COUNCIL Difference

targets

agreement

from

TAC

year

2015

in %

in tonnes

in %

35%

12%

51%

26%

-20%

-48%

-5%

-8%

-23%

-17%

158 470

22 220

163 451

38 780

51 429

15 900

3 409

95 928

13 106

213 581

15%

12%

45%

26%

-22%

-7%

-10%

-11%

Clupea

harengus

Clupea

harengus

Clupea

harengus

Clupea

harengus

Gadus

morhua

Gadus

morhua

Pleuronectes

platessa

Salmo

salar

Salmo

salar

Sprattus

sprattus

Baltic Sea subdivisions

30-31 (Gulf of Bothnia)

Baltic Sea subdivisions

22-24

Baltic Sea subdivisions

25-27, 28.2, 29, 32

Baltic Sea subdivision

28-1 (Gulf of Riga)

Baltic Sea subdivisions

25-32 (Eastern)

Baltic Sea subdivisions

22-24 (Western)

Baltic Sea subdivisions

22-32

III bcd, except

subdivision 32 (22-31)

Baltic Sea subdivision 32

III bcd

Legend: Latin name - English name/ Nom français/ Deutsche Name

Clupea harengus - herring/ hareng/ Hering

Gadus morhua - cod/ morue/ Dorsch

Pleuronectes platessa - plaice/ plie/ Scholle

Salmo salar - Atlantic salmon/ saumon atlantique/ Lachs

Sprattus sprattus - sprat/ sprat (esprot)/ Sprotte

A negative % indicates a reduction in the TAC, a positive % indicates an increase in the

TAC and 0 % indicates a roll-over of the TAC

AC expressed as number of individuals

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In addition, the agreement provides for a roll-over of the fishing effort limits indicating the number

of days at sea for cod fishing (i.e.147 days for the Western Baltic and 146 days for the Eastern

Baltic).

With a view to simplifying and clarifying the annual TAC and quota decisions, fishing

opportunities in the Baltic Sea have been fixed by a separate regulation since 2006.

These fisheries should be open on 1 January 2015.

Under article 43(3) of the Lisbon Treaty, it is incumbent upon the Council to adopt measures on the

fixing and allocation of fishing opportunities within the framework of the common fisheries policy.

The European Parliament's participation and the Economic and Social Committee's opinion are

therefore not required for this species.

EU/Norway: annual consultations for 2015

The Council held an exchange of views on the annual consultations between the EU and Norway

under their bilateral fisheries agreement. The first round of consultations will take place from 17 to

21 November in Bergen (Norway) and the second round from 1 to 5 December in Clonakilty

(Ireland).

Most of the delegations recognised the usefulness of this agreement with Norway but would favour

a cautious approach from the EU as regards TACs and other associated measures for the main

jointly managed joint stocks in the North Sea. They would also recommend a cautious approach for

other stocks that it might be worthwhile to identify and use for the reciprocal exchange of quotas.

In this regard, several delegations agreed that the agreement with Norway and the Faroe Islands on

the mackerel issue will facilitate the negotiations.

The main issues for the consultations this year are:

–

detailed management arrangements for the seven jointly managed fish stocks in the North

Sea (cod, haddock, plaice, whiting, herring, mackerel and northern shelf saithe) and

Skagerrak (cod, haddock, whiting, plaice, shrimp, herring and sprat) notably involving the

establishment of the TACs and quotas for the respective parties, in accordance with the

long-term management plans and agreed sharing arrangements;

possible adjustments to the long-term management plans for North Sea stocks of haddock

and herring in the light of new ICES advice; and

the exchange of reciprocal fishing possibilities in order, among other things, to enable the

continuation of a number of fishing operations which are important for the fishermen of

both parties, including fishing opportunities for Arcto-Norwegian cod in Norwegian

waters, as well as other measures in fisheries of mutual interest.

–

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The 1980 bilateral fisheries agreement between the EC and Norway covers joint stocks in the North

Sea, some jointly managed, others not. Annual TACs are set jointly by the EU and Norway for

the jointly managed joint stocks. There are joint long-term management plans for cod, haddock,

herring and saithe and basic principles for a long-term management plan for plaice. A ten-year

agreement with Norway on mackerel was concluded in January 2010, including mutual access in

the North Sea. This agreement is contingent on a satisfactory overall bilateral agreement. The

reciprocal exchange of quotas needs to be in overall balance across the agreement.

ICCAT annual meeting

Ministers held an exchange of views as regards the special meeting of the International Commission

for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) from 10 to 17 November 2014 in Genoa (Italy).

This provided an opportunity at Council level to provide guidance for the preparation of EU

positions for the ICCAT meeting.

Some member states pointed out that the update of the scientific stock assessment for eastern

bluefin tuna submitted with a view to preparing the annual ICCAT meeting confirmed that the

measures imposed on fishermen for many years had been correctly implemented and showed a

recovery of the bluefin tuna stock. They asked that the total allowable catch (TAC) for this year be

raised while other member states were in favour of maintaining a cautious approach, considering

the uncertainties in the scientific opinion.

On 8 July 2014, the Council adopted a decision on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the

European Union, in the ICCAT. This "general mandate" applies to annual and special ICCAT

meetings from 2014 until 2019, sets out the principles for the EU position and lays down the

process regarding year-to-year specification of the EU position to be taken at ICCAT.

In 2006 ICCAT adopted a 15-year recovery plan for Eastern bluefin tuna. The plan was

subsequently modified in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and considerably revised in 2012. The latest

revision concerned, in addition to control issues, the TAC for 2013 and thereafter, which was fixed

at 13 400 tonnes applying the established quota distribution key. At the 2013 annual meeting the

TAC was maintained at 13 400 tonnes, but more flexibility was introduced for fishing bluefin tuna

in non-spawning coastal waters.

At the 2013 meeting, the EU did not oppose a roll-over of the TAC for western bluefin tuna,

although it did advocate lowering it.

In 2013, the EU conservation proposals for porbeagle and for shortfin mako were not adopted, and

nor was a ban on shark finning at sea. Several of the proposals are, however, expected to be re-

tabled in 2014.

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The ICCAT is responsible for the conservation of tuna and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean

and adjacent seas including the Mediterranean Sea. The ICCAT is thus responsible for managing

species including bluefin tuna, swordfish and tropical tunas. The organisation was established in

1969 and has 49 contracting parties, including the EU, the United Kingdom and France (the latter

two on behalf of their overseas territories). The annual meeting of ICCAT is closely linked to the

management of bluefin tuna stocks, which has significant financial implications for the European

tuna fishing fleets and tuna fattening farms.

AGRICULTURE

Mid-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy

The Council held a political debate on the contribution of the agricultural sector to the mid-term

review of the Europe 2020 strategy (13836/14).

Many ministers are confident that the goals set by the Europe 2020 Strategy are very relevant today

and the implementation of the Strategy is essential for jobs and growth in the coming years.

Nevertheless they acknowledged that progress on meeting the targets for employment, research and

development and poverty reduction has lagged behind, and underlined the importance for additional

efforts in these areas. Several delegations underscored that the recommendations prepared at EU

level should offer more flexibility for member states to implement measures according to their

specific national situation.

Most of the ministers highlighted the importance of agriculture and agro-food in contributing to the

European 2020 strategy. Many noted that the recently reformed common agricultural policy (CAP)

offers a framework in line with the targets set by the Europe 2020 Strategy. More time should be

given to allow the new measures to be implemented and to take effect, before the contribution of the

new CAP to the strategy could be assessed further. The programme European Innovation

Partnership in agriculture was frequently mentioned to express the potential for improving research

and development in agriculture.

The new CAP, in particular through rural development measures, will contribute significantly to

achieve Europe 2020 target with regard to employment through actions aiming at maintaining jobs

in rural areas and improving the attractiveness of those areas, more specifically for young people.

The Presidency will convey the outcome of the ministers' discussion to the General Affairs Council

in December so that it can prepare the December European Council.

Europe 2020 is the EU’s ten-year growth and jobs strategy that was launched in 2010 to try to

overcome the economic crisis of the European economies. Europe 2020 is intended to address the

shortcomings of the European growth model and create the conditions for smart, sustainable and

inclusive growth.

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Five headline targets have been set for the EU to achieve by the end of 2020. These cover

employment, research and development, climate/energy, education, and social inclusion and

poverty reduction. The objectives of the strategy are also supported by seven "flagship initiatives"

providing a framework through which the EU and national authorities mutually reinforce their

efforts in areas supporting the Europe 2020 priorities, such as innovation, the digital economy,

employment, youth, industrial policy, poverty, and resource efficiency.

Other EU levers, such as the European single market, the EU budget and the EU external agenda

also contribute to achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy. The Europe 2020 strategy is

implemented and monitored as part of the European Semester, the yearly cycle of coordination of

economic and budgetary policies.

In March 2014, the Commission published a Communication taking stock of the Europe 2020

strategy, four years after its launch. In May 2014, a public consultation feeding into the mid-term

review of the Europe 2020 strategy was launched and is open until 31 October 2014.

International agricultural trade issues

Ministers were briefed by the Commission on the state of play on international agricultural trade

issues.

On the WTO post-Bali agenda, the aim is to finalise the post-Bali work programme by the end of

the year, but due to India's refusal to approve the protocol on trade facilitation, the work is now

delayed. The WTO General Council's next meeting is on 21 October where the discussion will

continue on how to resolve the deadlock.

The EU and Canada finalised the mutual Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)

at the end of September.

Concerning the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, the 7th round

of negotiations was concluded on 3 October 2014. Despite the progress on this round, there is still

work to be done. The scheduling for the next round is unclear, due to challenges at the political and

public levels on both sides.

Many Council members pointed out the need for balanced international agreements with regard to

agriculture. Several ministers noted that negotiations should focus on the removal of non-tariff

barriers. In addition they considered that issues such as the protection of geographical indications,

food safety and animal welfare standards constituted decisive elements which characterised the

specificity of EU agriculture. Some member states recalled the importance of international trade

negotiations in order to find alternative markets for EU agricultural products following the

introduction of the Russian ban.

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African swine fever

The Council held an exchange of views on the situation of African swine fever (ASF) in the EU.

Several ministers highlighted the risk of a further spread of the disease in the EU. Therefore, they

supported the member states directly affected by the disease which requested that the Commission:

–

coordinate the EU's veterinary and sanitary measures to eradicate and prevent the spread of

ASF to territories in the EU which are not yet affected;

ensure that the participation of the EU can cover most of the costs for the prevention,

control and eradication of the disease within the EU financial contribution framework,

including the costs of sampling and laboratory testing;

explore the possibility of refunding the costs of the veterinary and sanitary measures

applied in order to eradicate ASF outbreaks (e.g. killing and destruction of pigs, feed, feed

additives, feed materials, medicines, disinfection, etc.).

–

The Commission confirmed that the conditions had been met for the EU to contribute at a rate of

75% for veterinary measures in the member states directly affected by the disease, and showed

openness on additional new measures.

ASF is a serious pig disease with severe economic consequences. It was first detected in the EU in

Lithuania at the beginning of 2014. Despite the stringent veterinary and sanitary measures adopted

to control it, the disease has spread further to Poland, Latvia and Estonia, causing heavy losses for

farmers and operators involved in trade in pigs and pig products. The disease seems to have been

introduced from the Russian Federation and possibly Belarus, where it has been present for years,

and where the relevant sanitary authorities have not managed to eradicate it or prevent further

spread.

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Any other business

–

Russian ban on EU agricultural products

Ministers discussed the impact and implications of the Russian ban on imports of EU agricultural

products in place since early August this year. This follows the discussion that took place during the

extraordinary Agriculture Council organised on 5 September by the Italian Presidency.

In this regard, at the request of the Polish delegation, the Council discussed the possibility of

additional measures for supporting the milk market affected by the Russian ban on EU agricultural

products. Poland considers that measures such as the introduction of exports refunds and the

increase of intervention prices could mitigate the price fall observed on the milk market of the

member states most affected by the ban. (13707/14).

Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania called for direct support measures for their dairy farmers

who faced drastic fall in milk prices following the Russian ban. Most ministers acknowledged the

need for EU solidarity towards the most affected member states as regards the dairy sector and the

Commission showed its readiness to consider such direct support. However, some ministers asked

for more information on the targeted compensations envisaged by the Commission. Others insisted

on a number of conditions to be met and/or other pointed to the financial difficulties linked to

possible new measures. The discussion on possible targeted compensations for dairy producers in

the Baltic States and Finland will continue on the basis of more detailed information to be given by

the Commission.

Some member states also pointed out that the emergency measures to support the fruit and

vegetables sector decided soon after the Russian ban were unsufficient to alleviate the severe

difficulties met by their producers.

On 7 August, the Russian Federation introduced a one-year import ban on a number of agricultural

products, raw materials and foodstuffs originating from the European Union as a countermeasure to

sanctions imposed on Russia because of the situation in Ukraine. The list of banned products was

slightly modified on 20 August. It includes meat, fish and crustaceans, milk and dairy products,

fruit and vegetables, sausages and food or finished products. In August and September, the

Commission took emergency measures for fruit and vegetables. Market measures were also adopted

for the milk sector in early September.

–

International Olive Council negotiations

The Council was briefed by the Commission on the state of play of the International Olive Council

negotiations for a new agreement replacing the 2005 agreement (14004/14). Ministers expressed

concern at the IOC's delay in adopting the current agreement of one year as they await the

conclusion of the negotiations for a new agreement.

Some member states supported the Commission in its request for a one-year extension of the

current agreement.

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The 2005 international agreement was negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations

Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and is administered by the IOC. The current

agreement entered into force on 1 January 2006 and will expire on 31 December 2014 unless the

IOC decides otherwise. A new agreement has been under discussion within the IOC since 2013 but

will not be concluded before the expiry of the 2005 agreement.

For that reason, on 15 September this year, the Council gave to the Commission a mandate to

request a one-year extension of the existing agreement (see "other items"). Turkey is currently

chairing the IOC.

The IOC was set up in 1959 to administer the succession of international commodity agreements

concluded over the past fifty years to defend and promote olive growing, olive oil and table olives.

The EU (represented by the Commission) and 16 countries (Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Egypt,

Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and

Uruguay) are members of the IOC

–

Russian ban on EU fisheries products

Ministers were briefed by the Commission on the consequences of the Russian ban for EU fisheries

products and how best to react to it.

Some delegations pointed out that Russia’s import ban also had severe repercussions on EU

fisheries, in particular on the pelagic industries.

In this regard, the Commission mentioned possible solutions, such as the use of storage aid, aid for

temporary cessation, and state aids.

In addition, the possibility to transfer a part of this year's quota to 2015 (25%) was finally proposed

for certain pelagic fisheries in the form of banking provisions within the framework of the

agreement on Baltic TACs and quotas (see above).

–

Russian actions against an EU fishing vessel

The Lithuanian delegation briefed the Council about recent actions that Russia undertook against a

fishing vessel in the Barents Sea.

Several member states supported the Lithuanian authorities' call for the immediate release of the

vessel by the Russian authorities.

On 18 September 2014, the Lithuanian fishing vessel "Juros Vilkas" was stopped by Russia while it

was in international waters in the Barents Sea and then towed to the port of Murmansk. The crew

was detained until 22 September 2014; the vessel is still being detained by the Russian authorities.

The vessel had accidentally been inside Russian waters for about an hour on 8 September 2014. A

similar incident involving another Lithuanian vessel also occurred recently.

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OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

AGRICULTURE

Promotion measures for agricultural products

The Council adopted a regulation on information provision and promotion measures for agricultural

products on the internal market and in third countries

(PE-CONS

90/14)

following a first reading

agreement with the European Parliament. The United Kingdom, Netherlands and Swedish

delegations voted against.

This regulation renews the legal framework for the promotion of European agricultural products on

the internal market and in third countries in the context of the very competitive environment the

EU faces today.

It provides a framework to set strategic priorities and encourage promotion in new markets, such as

in third countries. Furthermore, since the reformed Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), which will

enter into force on 1st January 2015 encourages farmers to organise themselves, the new promotion

scheme will be opened up to new beneficiaries, such as producer organisations. The regulation also

provides new opportunities for promotion by mentioning the origin of products or brand names

under certain conditions.

For further information, see document

14136/14.

Member states' checks of agricultural expenditure

The Council adopted conclusions on the European Court of Auditors' special report entitled "The

reliability of the results of the Member States' checks of the agricultural expenditure", as set out in

13616/14.

Use of animal by-products in organic fertilisers

The Council decided not to oppose the adoption of a Commission regulation amending regulation

142/2011 implementing regulation 1069/2009 laying down health rules as regards animal by-

products and derived products not intended for human consumption and implementing directive

97/78/EC as regards certain samples and items exempt from veterinary checks at the border under

that directive (13239/14).

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Regulation 1069/2009 lays down public and animal health rules for animal by-products and derived

products, in order to prevent and minimise risks to public and animal health arising from those

products. Regulation 142/2011

lays down implementing rules for regulation 1069/2009, including

rules on the adoption of alternative methods of use or disposal of animal by-products or derived

products and the requirements for placing on the market organic fertilisers and certain other animal

by-products.

The delegated regulation extends the current transitional conditions under which organic fertilisers,

soil improvers and other growing media containing parts of animal by-products can be exempted

from the registration procedure or the checks that normally apply to those products.

This Commission regulation is subject to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny. This means that

now that the Council has given its consent, the Commission may adopt the regulation, unless the

European Parliament objects.

International agreement on olive oil - Position of the EU

On 15 September 2014 the Council adopted by written procedure a decision on the position to be

adopted on behalf of the EU within the Council of Members of the International Olive Council

(IOC) concerning the extension of the 2005 international agreement on olive oil and table olives

(11912/14).

In this decision, the Council gives a mandate to the Commission to request a one-year extension of

the existing agreement while waiting for the conclusion of a new agreement (See above:

International Olive Council negotiations)

TRADE POLICY

Agreement with Colombia and Peru - Accession of Croatia

The Council adopted a decision approving the signing and provisional application of an additional

protocol to the EU's trade agreement with Colombia and Peru, taking account of Croatia's accession

to the EU (13806/14 +

12592/14

12594/14

12595/14

12595/14 COR 1

12595/14 COR 2).

WTO agreement on government procurement: Montenegro and New Zealand

The Council decided to approve the accessions of Montenegro and New Zealand to the revised

WTO agreement on government procurement.

The two Council decisions establish the EU's position within the committee on government

procurement on the accession of Montenegro and New Zealand, subject to specific terms set out in

the annexes to the decisions.

OJ L 54, 26.2.2011, p. 1.

14199/14

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13 October 2014

TRANSPORT

Inland transport of dangerous goods

The Council decided not to oppose the adoption by the Commission of a directive aligning EU rules

on the inland transport of dangerous goods with amendments made to relevant international

agreements (13608/14

+ ADD 1).

Member states will have to convert that update into national law by the end of June 2015.

The draft directive, which amends the annexes to directive 2008/68 on the inland transport of

dangerous goods, is subject to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny. This means that now that the

Council has given its consent, the Commission may adopt it, unless the European Parliament

objects.

14199/14