IMPORT QUOTAS OF HIGH QUALITY BEEF (12361/06)
Letter from Lord Rooker, Minister of State
for Sustainable Farming and Food, Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs to the Chairman
I am writing to inform you of an issue which
is to come before the Economic and Financial Affairs Council on
10 October. This concerns a proposal for a Council Rgulation to
modify the definition for certain import quotas of high quality
beef.
An Explanatory Memorandum was prepared and submitted
on 20 September, however due to recess it will not clear scrutiny
ahead of the vote in Council on 10 October.
This proposal will provide the Commission with
a Legal basis on which they may amend the current definitions
of high quality beef (imported from Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil
under Regulation 936/97) and will make the quotas covered by this
Regulation country specific. This is intended to improve the Commission's
audit and verification of the products imported under these quotas.
It is unfortunate there has not been sufficient
time for scrutiny to be completed for Council but I wish to inform
your Committee that this proposal is not contentious, does not
alter in any way the current workings of the quota allocations
for any of the above-mentioned countries, and did not raise any
discussion at the Special Committee for Agriculture on 25 September.
As such it is to go to Council on 10 October as an A Point.
9 October 2006
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