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Agriculture Ministers to discuss trading practices and food waste

Publication date 13.4.2018 14.30
Press release

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council will convene in Luxembourg on 16 April 2018. The Finnish representative at the meeting is Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Jari Leppä. The topics on the agenda include food waste and the Commission’s draft directive to fight unfair trading practices in the food supply chain.

A directive is a legislative act of the EU that obligates the Member States to issue national legislation on the matters concerned. The Commission’s proposal was published on 12 April, and this is the first time it is discussed at the Council.

“Measures are needed for better functioning of the agricultural market and to ensure more equitable competitive positions for the different stakeholders. The Commission’s proposal is most welcome and an important step in the right direction. More transparency is needed to improve the functioning of the food chain” Minister Leppä says.

The Council will also talk about food waste on the basis of the Council conclusions published in 2016. Finland considers that since 2016 significant progress has been made in preventing food waste. However, food waste is still created in all parts of the food chain and there is considerable variation between the Member States in the measures and inputs concerning the reduction of food waste, which is why serious efforts are still needed.

The Commission will present a new multiannual plan for the management of fish stocks in the western EU waters. Western EU waters mean the parts of the Atlantic Ocean that belong to the EU except for the Arctic Ocean. The aim of the plan is to strengthen the fish stocks in these waters. The plan also includes a proposal for amending the multiannual plan concerning fish stocks in the Baltic Sea. According to the proposal, the numerical values for fishing mortality and stock sizes set as the target will be abolished. Finland supports this proposal.

Inquiries at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry:

Kari Valonen, Head of EU Coordination and International Affairs, tel. +358 40 751 8407, kari.valonen(at)mmm.fi
Risto Lahti, Special Adviser to the Minister, tel. +358 50 565 0424, risto.lahti(at)mmm.fi

EU och internationella frågor Fiskar Fiskekvoter Jari Leppä Mat och jordbruk
 
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