Ref. Ares(2021)7938574 - 22/12/2021
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Directorate G. Markets and Observatories
The Director
Brussels,
AGRI.[Art 4.1 (b) D(2021) 1268361
- privacy]
MINUTES
JOINT MEETING OF
THE EXPERT GROUP FOR AGRICULTURAL MARKETS
IN PARTICULAR CONCERNING ASPECTS FALLING UNDER THE SINGLE
CMO REGULATION
Subgroup on contingency plan for ensuring food supply and food security
and
THE EXPERT GROUP FOR MARKETS AND TRADE IN FISHERY AND
AQUACULTURE PRODUCTS (MTFAP)
on
What are the lessons learnt from COVID-19 and other crises with regard to food
security in the EU?
20/01/2021
Chair: [Art 4.1 (b) -
privacy]
Experts present: All Member States and observers (except ECVC, HOTREC, IRU and
SMEunited) were present
1. Approval of the agenda
2. Nature of the meeting
In view of the adoption in the context of the Farm to Fork Strategy of a Commission
Communication on a contingency plan for ensuring food supply and food security (4th
quarter 2021), the Commission jointly convened a dedicated agricultural sub-group of the
expert group on agricultural markets and the expert group on markets and trade in fishery
and aquaculture products. These groups are composed of Member States experts in the
domain of agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture and stakeholders of the agri-fish-food
supply chain granted observer status. The aim of this group is to brainstorm and discuss
on lessons learned from the Covid-19 and other previous crises on food security, on
potential threats to EU food security, to gather information about existing regional,
national and international response mechanisms and to elaborate on general principles to
ensure continuity of food security. The objective of this particular meeting was to gain
insights into the lessons learnt from the Covid-19 and other crises on food security.
The meeting took place through videoconference and was non-public. The session was
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË - Tel. +32 22991111
split into two parts, a first session for MS and observers and a second session for MS
exclusively.
3. List of points discussed
First session (Member States and observers):
Opening by M. Michael Scannell, DG AGRI
M. Scannell highlighted the resilience of the EU food system in ensuring the supply
of quality and affordable food to citizens during the Covid-19 pandemics, thus
avoiding a food security crisis on top of the sanitary crisis, in close collaboration with
MS and stakeholders. However, despite the fact that the food supply chain was
resilient overall, some national measures were interfering with the functioning of the
single market and the food system during the early stages of the crisis.
This is why in its Farm to Fork Communication, the Commission decided to come
forward with a contingency plan.
He was further looking forward to a constructive collaboration on this sensitive
initiative and expressed his commitment to work fast and constructively to meet the
deadline for the Communication.
Setting the scene
The COM presented context, scope and timeline with regard to the Contingency plan
by underlining that this initiative does not aim for a legislative proposal and that it
complements a further initiative planned under Farm to Fork Action n°1 (legislative
framework for sustainable food systems planned for 2023). Moreover, the COM
informed on the stakeholder consultation and presented the preliminary results on the
feedback to the Roadmap, highlighting broad support1 (see power point presentation
published on circabc and in the expert groups register2).
Participation of observers was very active. In substance they raised questions on the link
between this initiative and the Sustainable Investment Regulation, called on the COM to
ensure the labour force in the food and feed chain receives priority status at MS level,
underlined the importance of giving the contingency plan a broad scope not strictly
limited to pandemic situations and avoiding both extra and intra EU trade restrictions, as
well as considering transport and logistics as an essential activity. Observers also
suggested involving
crises management experts and taking
inspiration from crises mitigation strategies available in other sectors, MS, or other parts
of the world, expressed concerns with the narratives on national food sovereignty and
highlighted the importance that a crisis response mechanism should take into account the
structures that are already in place.
.
Lessons learnt from COVID-19 for the agricultural and food markets
DG AGRI, MARE and SANTE presented a brief overview of their respective lessons
learnt (see presentations published on circabc and in the expert groups register3).
1 https://europa.eu/!qd43Uc.
2 https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regexpert/index.cfm?do=groupDetail.groupMeeting&meetingId=23493
3 idem
2
In substance, participants and observers that expressed themselves highlighted the
key-role of producer organisations and stressed the difference of impacts in EU
and stressed the importance of communicating to consumers that derogations from
controls will not necessarily put at risk food safety.
Testimonies from the ground
A series of stakeholders representing the various stages of the food supply chain
provided insights on how they managed to cope with the pandemic and what were the
challenges they had faced or were currently still facing. This included presentations
from the primary production stage (agricultural cooperative, fish PO), food industry,
transport, trade, retail, labour union and the food banks (see presentations published
on circabc and in the expert groups register4).
Second session (Member States only):
Wrap-up of the first session
DG AGRI explained the structure of the planned collaboration with MS and informed
about the provisional timetable for the planned Expert Group meetings (see
presentation published on circabc and in the expert groups register5).
COVID-19 and free movement of goods and workers - examples of coordination
issues
DG HOME presented the Covid-19 Corona Information Group, Spain shared its
experience of policies in response to the pandemic and WTO and OECD in a joint
presentation gave an example of coordination at international level (see presentations
published on circabc and in the expert groups register6).
AOB
Conclusions and next steps
What are the threats to
EU food security?
COM will address via Circabc
lessons
learnt from COVID-19 and other crises with regard to food security in the EU
should send their replies by 10 February to the following functional mailbox:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx
would have any objection, this should be indicated in the written reply.
(E-signed)
Michael SCANNELL
Acting Director
4 idem
5 idem
6 idem
3
List of participants Minutes
JOINT MEETING OF
THE EXPERT GROUP FOR AGRICULTURAL MARKETS
IN PARTICULAR CONCERNING ASPECTS FALLING UNDER THE SINGLE CMO REGULATION
Subgroup on contingency plan for ensuring food supply and food security
and
THE EXPERT GROUP FOR MARKETS AND TRADE IN FISHERY AND AQUACULTURE
PRODUCTS (MTFAP)
on
What are the lessons learnt from COVID-19 and other crises with regard to food security in the EU?
20/01/2021
DG AGRI
MEMBER
Ministry or Organisation
NUMBER OF
STATE
PERSONS
SPW
1
BE
Governement of Flanders - Departement of Agriculture
1
and Fisheries
BG
Ministry of agriculture, food and forestry
3
CZ
Ministry of Agriculture
2
DK
The Danish Agriculture Agency
1
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration
2
DE
Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft
2
(BMEL)
EE
Ministry of Rural Affairs
3
IE
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
2
EL
Permanent Representation EL
1
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
1
ES
Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
1
FR
Ministry of Economy, DGCCRF (fraud control)
1
Ministere de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation
1
HR
Ministry of Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Safety
1
Directorate
IT
Ministero delle politiche agricole alimentari e forestali
2
CY
Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture,
1
Rural Development and Environment
LV
Ministry of Agriculture
3
LT
Lithuanian Ministry of Agriculture
3
LU
Ministry of Agriculture - Service d'économie rurale
2
4
HU
Ministry of Agriculture of Hungary
1
National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih)
1
MT
Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal
2
Rights
NL
Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
2
AT
Agrarmarkt Austria
1
Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism
2
PL
-----------
-----------
PT
MA - GPP
1
RO
Romanian Permanent Representation to the EU
1
Ministry of Agriculture
1
SI
Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia
1
to the European Union
Ministry
2
SK
MZV
1
MPRV SR
1
FI
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland
3
SE
Board of Agriculture
1
National Food Agency
1
Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation
1
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
-----------
OBSERVERS
BEUC
1
CEJA
1
CELCAA
1
COPA
1
EUROCOMMERCE
1
EUROSEEDS
1
FEFAC
1
FOODDRINKEUROPE
1
FOODSERVICEEUROPE
1
INDEPENDENT RETAIL EUROPE
1
SERVING EUROPE
1
UNISTOCK
1
SPEAKERS
5
ASEDAS
1
ASSOLATTE
1
CEREAL DOCKS INTERNATIONAL
1
DAIRYGOLD
1
EFFAT
1
EUROPEAN FOOD BANKS FEDERATION ASBL
1
FEDOPA
1
MULLER FRESH FOOD LOGISTICS
1
OECD
1
WTO
1
DG MARE
MEMBER
Ministry or Organisation
NUMBER OF
STATE
PERSONS
Vlaamse overheid- Flemish department of agriculture
1
BE
and fisheries
BG
Executive Agency for Fishery and Aquaculture-EAFA
2
CZ
----------
---------
DK
----------
---------
DE
----------
---------
EE
Ministry of Rural Affairs of the Republic of Estonia
1
IE
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
1
EL
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
2
ES
Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
2
FR
----------
-----------
HR
Ministry of Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Safety
2
Directorate
IT
Ministero delle politiche agricole alimentari e forestali
1
CY
-----------
----------
LV
Ministry of Agriculture
2
LT
Lithuanian Ministry of Agriculture
1
LU
----------
----------
HU
-----------
------------
6
MT
Ministry
1
NL
----------
-----------
AT
BAES-Bundesamt für Ernährungssicherheit
1
PL
Ministry of Agriculture
2
PT
-----------
-----------
RO
-----------
-----------
SI
Ministry
1
SK
------------
-----------
FI
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland
1
SE
Swedish Ministry of Agriculture
1
Board of Agriculture
1
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
----------
OBSERVERS
ETF
1
FEAP
1
EAPO
1
AIPCE CEP
1
EUROPECHE
2
EUROPEAN MOLLUSC PRODUCERS
1
ASSOCIATION
7