Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-06-18-Speech-3-368"
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"en.20080618.26.3-368"2
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"The Council is fully aware of the importance of the issue of agricultural product and food prices in world markets. The Presidency believes that an integrated approach is needed to resolve this problem, an approach that will include all relevant sectors in order to ensure an effective and long-term political response from the European Union. With regard to the various aspects of this issue, recently in the relevant formations of the Council we have organised numerous discussions aimed at contributing to such integrated solutions.
For instance, on 19 May the Council held a detailed discussion on factors influencing the capacity of the agriculture sector to ensure adequate food supply. Here it pointed out the need to study long-term trends in supply and demand. The discussion, aimed at contributing to a common and sustainably orientated political response from the European Union, touched upon all the main aspects that are important for the agriculture sector and for the common agricultural policy.
The Council has already adopted a decision on numerous measures to mitigate the pressure on food prices in the markets of the European Union. These measures are also expected to have a favourable influence on international markets. The Council also adopted certain rapid measures such as abolishing the requirement for compulsory set-aside for 2008, increasing milk quotas and the temporary waiving of import duties for grain.
In the context of the health check on the common agricultural policy the Council will also consider further measures. These include for instance the permanent abandoning of the requirement for compulsory set-aside, the gradual withdrawal of the system of milk quotas, elimination of the current premiums for energy plants and their substitution to promote the production of second-generation biofuels – in other words biofuels that are produced from by-products and are not competing with food production.
At the end of May the Council focused on the developmental dimensions of this issue and determined that such circumstances, the current circumstances, seriously burden developing countries, and especially the weakest social segments of those countries.
In its meeting on 3 June the Council also studied the financial consequences and possible solutions in the area of high food prices. It drew attention to the short-term measures it has already adopted, especially in agriculture, and stressed the importance of strengthening the market orientation of agriculture, ensuring the sustainable production of biofuels and increasing the growth of medium-term and long-term productivity in agriculture both in Europe and in developing countries.
The European Council meeting starting tomorrow will also address the political consequences of high food prices. In short, if I may conclude, the question posed by Mr Papadimoulis has in recent months and weeks been regularly on the Council’s agenda."@en1
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