Fisheries

The Council agreed on 2020 total allowable catches (TACs) and member states' quotas for the ten most commercially important fish stocks in the Baltic Sea.

In line with the latest scientific advice highlighting poor conditions in the Baltic Sea, the Council decided to decrease fishing opportunities for the majority of fish stocks. TACs were moderately increased only for herring in the Gulf of Riga and were maintained for salmon in the Gulf of Finland.

• Baltic Sea: Council agreement on 2020 catch limits (press release, 15/10/2019)

Post 2020 CAP reform package

In public session the Council discussed a progress report on the work carried out in the Council's preparatory bodies on the Commission proposals for a reform of the Common agricultural policy (CAP) post-2020.

Ministers focused in particular on those elements that they considered to be crucial in the reform package, and considered that the new delivery model and the "green architecture" were the main elements requiring further debate.

The Council was also informed about a joint statement by various member states on the CAP budget.

• CAP progress report
• Corrigendum to the CAP progress report
• Watch the recordings of the Councils public debates

Forestry

The Council had an exchange of views on the Commission communication on stepping up EU action to protect and restore the world's forests, focusing in particular on what they considered to be priorities for action. Ministers also had the opportunity to brainstorm about the future EU Forest Strategy post 2020, and were informed about a joint statement by various member states on sustainable forestry.

• Commission communication on stepping up EU Action to protect and restore the world's forests
• Watch the recordings of the Councils public debates

Market situation

The Commission updated the Council on the latest developments in the most important agricultural markets.

Ministers welcomed the generally positive economic situation and outlook in the main market segments, but also expressed concerns as to the difficult situation of the sugar, olive oil and table olives, beef and rice sectors.
Ministers also discussed the potential effects of the recent announcement of the Office of the United States Trade Representative that it would impose additional duties on a list of EU agro-food products as of 18 October 2019, in relation to the WTO ruling on the Airbus case.

• Watch the recordings of the Councils public debates (Market situation)
• Watch the recordings of the Councils public debates (US duties)

Other topics on the agenda

Ministers were also informed about:

• the state of play of African swine fever
• the state of play of the major food safety issues
• the damage caused by the Asian stink bug in Italy
• the outcome of two conferences on the bioeconomy and the transfer of knowledge and innovation in rural areas

European Maritime and Fisheries Fund post-2020

The Council is due to agree to supplement the partial general approach on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund post-2020.

• European Maritime and Fisheries Fund post-2020 (background information)

Other fisheries-related matters

The Council will also exchange views on the position to be taken by the EU at:

• the annual consultations between the EU and Norway in the framework of their bilateral fisheries agreement
• the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) due to take place on 18-25 November in Palma de Mallorca, Spain

For more details, see the meeting page.

Via consilium.europa.eu