Significant progress has also been achieved within the North-South Ministerial Council framework, particularly in relation to an all-island animal health strategy. At its meeting in September the North-South Ministerial Council endorsed a paper setting out the scope of convergence of animal health policy North and South and agreed that officials should seek to finalise discussions with the UK authorities prior to final agreement of the strategy. The detailed issues are currently being dealt with in the various policy working groups in accordance with the timetable set out in the paper. The council also initiated discussions to identify areas for public co-operation in plant health, pesticides, diagnostics and research co-operation. It has also agreed to explore the establishment of a plant health risk assessment panel. Discussions were also initiated on identifying new areas for co-operation.