Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Twelfth Report


5 Timetable for reform

30. The Commission's options were presented to the Agriculture Council at the end of September 2003. Since then there has been only one other substantive Council discussion, on 17 November 2003. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told us that, at that stage, "most Member States felt it was too early to take positions on the reform options, though there was a general recognition that a straight renewal of the existing arrangements would have to be excluded".[31] The Commission's Communication was subsequently referred to the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA), who examined it at meetings on 8 March 2004 and 7 June 2004.

31. The timetable for reform has been affected by the European Parliamentary elections in May 2004 and the prospect of a change of Commission in November 2004. However, the outgoing Agriculture Commissioner, Franz Fischler, has said that he intends to present a "concrete reform proposal" before he steps down.[32] It now seems likely that this will take the form of a communication setting out, in general terms, the Commission's plans for reform.[33] It is anticipated that the College of Commissioners will agree the draft document at a meeting on 14 July 2004, before it is tabled for discussion at Council. Publication of a formal legislative proposal is not expected until early next year.[34] However, if reaching a decision proves difficult, then the reform process may well drag on until the second half of 2005, when the UK is holding the Presidency of the European Union and will chair the meetings of the Council of Ministers.


31   Ev 80 Back

32   Franz Fischler, The future of the Community sugar regime, Speech to NGG Sugar Conference, Oberjosbach, 19 May 2004 Back

33   "Detailed EU sugar reform proposals in early 2005", Agra Europe, 4 June 2004, EP/5 Back

34   "July 14 discussion date", Agra Europe, 18 June 2004, EP/4 Back


 
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Prepared 12 July 2004