This is disappointing but not surprising as there was in excess of 900 amendments to potential new laws which are currently going through the Brussels decision making process. The UFU is determined to achieve accurate country of origin labeling to help consumers make an informed choice about the food they are buying.
The rapportuer, German MEP Mrs Renate Sommer, if re-elected will re-write her report taking into account as many of the amendments as possible. The UK NFUs will be encouraging Mrs. Sommer to include COOL in the new report, especially owing to the large number of amendments originally tabled on the matter.
The UFU has also been working closely locally with Botanic Inns who have been running a trial in their restaurants labeling the country of origin of their produce. This has been done to very good effect and could be a template for other restaurants and food service outlets to follow.
IPPC fight moves on to Council
MEPs voted last week to amend parts of the IPPC Directive which could add unnecessary cost and bureaucracy in regards to the pig and poultry industry.
"The next steps in this process are for the EU Council of Environment Ministers to consider the Commission's proposals and the EU Parliament's position and to come up with their own position, known as the "Council Common Position."
The Czech EU Presidency has organised numerous working group meetings, attended by Defra officials, in the run up to the Environment Council. This takes place on the 25th June. During this Council, Ministers are expected to agree to the Council position. The UK Farming Unions will work closely with Defra and UKREP (the UK Governments permanent representation in Brussels) to ensure that the concerns of the industry are taken in to account in the Council position. Similarly our COPA colleagues will work with their own Ministries to do the same across Europe.
Situation on the milk market
EU Agriculture Ministers will have an exchange of views on the milk market situation on Monday in Brussels.
Some Ministers are expected to say that the situation is now so dire that a massive increase in intervention is required (beyond the current ceilings which have already been met - 30,000 tonnes of butter and 109,000 tonnes of SMP). Marianne Fischer Boel has indicated that she is willing to increase these levels if necessary. Others will call for all disposal schemes to be implemented. Some Ministers will call for the steps taken during the health check to be rolled back, with speculation mounting that the German Agriculture Minister will call for the future of milk quotas debate to be re-opened.