Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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1150. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the issues discussed at the recent EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting; the outcome of the discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18699/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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At the most recent EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council which took place in Luxembourg on 15 April 2019, my Ministerial colleagues and I exchanged views on three key items:-

- the CAP post-2020 reform package with a particular emphasis on the new ‘green architecture’. The discussion was based on two questions set by the Romanian Presidency and focussed on enhanced conditionality and related standards, eco-schemes and the increased environmental ambition of the CAP. I emphasised in particular the need to maintain the CAP budget in order to support our environmental ambitions, and to ensure that all of these elements work together in a harmonised way.

- the final report of the Task Force Rural Africa “An Africa-Europe agenda for rural transformation”. The discussion focussed on the six key recommendations set out in the report as part of the preparations for the forthcoming agriculture ministerial conference, which takes place in Rome on the 21 June 2019. I welcomed the Report, as well as the proposed Action Plan to put its recommendations into effect.

- the current situation of the agricultural markets. The Commission informed Council about the current situation in the sugar, fruit, dairy, meat and olive oil sectors. I again voiced my ongoing concerns in relation to the impact of Brexit on the beef sector in particular, and said that the deployment of exceptional measures is warranted given the sustained reduction in market returns that has been suffered by farm families. Other Ministers also raised concerns around the uncertainties linked to the possible effects of Brexit, while also highlighting issues that were of national importance to them.

Ministers were also informed of the following items under Any Other Business:-

- the Netherlands delegation, as chair of the Amsterdam Declarations Partnership, informed the Council about its request to the European Commission to present an ambitious EU action plan to tackle deforestation and forest degradation.

- the Council noted information from the Slovak delegation on a joint declaration of the Ministers of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia on the renewable energy directive post 2020.

- the Presidency informed the Council about the high-level Conference on ‘Agricultural Research and Innovation – a basis for the development of European agriculture, rural areas and bio-economy’, which took place in Bucharest on 5 April.