Rådsmøde landbrugsministre 19/3 01, pressemeddelelse

At the request of the German delegation, the Council discussed the question of animal transport, in particular its contribution to the risk of transmission of animal diseases.

The Council noted the Commission's intention to make relevant proposals soon.

The Council decided to authorize the Commission to negotiate guaranteed prices applicable in the 2000/01 delivery period for cane sugar originating in the ACP States (as referred to in the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement) or India.

The Council agreed on a Regulation extending for a period of up to one year the financing of certain quality and marketing improvement plans approved under Titel IIa of Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables.

Titel IIa provides for various specific measures to make good the inadequacy of production and marketing facilities for certain nuts and locust beans. Aid is provided to producer organisations which have received specific recognition and which have submitted a plan approved by the competent authority for improving the quality and the marketing of their produce.

Therefore, recognised producer organisations engaged in the production and marketing of nuts and/or locust beans whose quality and marketing improvement plans were approved in 1990 may request continued financing of their plans for a further period of up to one year subject to the rules laid down in the Regulation.

The Council adopted two Decisions concerning the conclusion of two Agreements signed with Hungary and Bulgaria on 12 and 26 July 2000 respectively and which establish the conditions for the carriage of goods by road and the promotion of combined transport.

The Agreements - which also have to be seen within the context of the pre-accession strategy - cover transport of goods by road and combined transport and deal in particular with:

- market access for transit traffic in the field of transport of goods by road;

- legal and administrative supporting measures including commercial, taxation, social and technical measures;

- co-operation in developing a transport systems which meets, inter-alia, environmental needs;

- a regular exchange of information on the development of the transport policies.

With regard to mutual access to transport markets, authorisations are granted in addition to existing bilateral arrangements which subsist.

The Community will receive, for each calendar year, 13.000 authorisations, Bulgaria 6.000.

The Community will receive, for each calendar year, 12.500 authorisations, Hungary 6.000.

The Agreements have to be seen in the context of the completion of the internal market and the implementation of the common transport policy in order to ensure that Community goods in transit can flow as quickly and efficiently as possible. For Bulgaria and Hungary they constitute a means of developing further mutual rights and obligations regarding access to transport markets and a first step in achieving an inland transport agreement as envisaged in the Europe Agreement.

Distribution of road transit authorisations through Bulgaria and Hungary

The Council adopted a Regulation laying down the distribution among the Member States of authorisations received by the Community through the road transit Agreements with Bulgaria and Hungary. The allocation per calendar year is as follows:

The Council having not been able to accept all the amendments adopted by the European Parliament to the common position on the proposed Directive on the resale right for the benefit of the author of an original work of art, a conciliation committee is convened, in accordance with the provisions of the co-decision procedure of the Treaty (Art. 251).

Take-over bids - Convening of conciliation committee

The Council having not been able to accept all the amendments adopted by the European Parliament to the common position on the proposed Directive on company law concerning take-over bids, a conciliation committee is convened, in accordance with the provisions of the co-decision procedure of the Treaty (Art. 251).