Agriculture JC 9 November 2007
NORTH/SOUTH MINISTERIAL COUNCIL
Agriculture Sector Format
Donegal, Friday 9th November 2007
Joint Communiqué
1. The first NSMC Agriculture Sectoral meeting since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly was held in Harvey’s Point Country Hotel in Donegal on Friday 9 November 2007.
2. The Irish Government was represented by Mary Coughlan, TD, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Éamon Ó Cuív, TD, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Minister Coughlan chaired the meeting. The Northern Ireland delegation comprised Michelle Gildernew, MP, MLA, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and Arlene Foster, MLA, Minister of the Environment.
Progress Report
3. The Council noted progress made since the last meeting in September 2002 and welcomed the opportunity to come together to discuss co-operation in the agriculture sector. Ministers welcomed the mutually beneficial collaborative work taken in response to the recent outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease and Bluetongue disease and earlier outbreaks of Avian Influenza in Britain. This co-operation had ensured a common approach was adopted to preventing these diseases from entering the island of Ireland while maintaining trade levels.
Co-operation on Animal Health
4. The Council noted an all-island Animal Health and Welfare Strategy paper developed by the North/South Animal Health and Welfare Steering Group. They restated that the free movement of animals on the island continues to be the ultimate aim of the animal health and welfare strategy and that the way forward is through co-operation and the development of complementary policies.
5. Ministers noted that the Strategy includes a list of initial activities for delivery of key elements with various milestones and deadlines for the immediate period ahead.
6. They requested that officials continue to oversee progress and to submit further measures to implement the Strategy for approval at the next NSMC sectoral meeting.
Plant Health
7. The Council agreed that North South cooperation on plant health should focus on the status of pests and diseases threatening the island's plant health and co-operation on EU matters.
8. Ministers noted that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is developing a plant health strategy for Northern Ireland which will include a section on North/South co-operation consistent with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food plant health strategies.
9. Ministers also agreed that the work of the North/South Pesticide Steering Group should focus on the production of co-ordinated pesticide usage surveys for grassland and fodder crops, and for arable crops.
Common Agricultural Policy Issues
10. The Council agreed that officials from the Departments should remain in close contact on a range of key CAP issues including the EU Commission’s recent adoption of a single Common Market Organisation, the reform of the Fruit and Vegetable sector and the forthcoming CAP “Health Check”. Ministers noted that future NSMC meetings will consider and review common challenges and opportunities arising from the EU dimension of agriculture.
Cross-Border Rural Development
11. The Council noted the work of the North/South Steering Committee on Cross Border Rural Development. They agreed that the future work of the Committee should focus on developing the maximum co-operation in the implementation of rural development programmes and policy, including EU programmes and to examine the scope for a common approach to the feasibility of developing cross-border area based strategies and rural development research.
12. Ministers welcomed the progress achieved under the funding provided by the EU Peace Programmes, particularly the strong focus on rural areas which had been particularly disadvantaged as a result of the conflict.
13. They requested officials to bring forward a report and recommendations, to the next meeting of the NSMC in the Agriculture Sectoral Format, in respect of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 and co-operation projects.
Next Meeting
The Council agreed that its next meeting in this Sectoral Format would take place in Spring 2008.
Joint Secretariat
November 2007
Agriculture Sector Format
Donegal, Friday 9th November 2007
Joint Communiqué
1. The first NSMC Agriculture Sectoral meeting since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly was held in Harvey’s Point Country Hotel in Donegal on Friday 9 November 2007.
2. The Irish Government was represented by Mary Coughlan, TD, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Éamon Ó Cuív, TD, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Minister Coughlan chaired the meeting. The Northern Ireland delegation comprised Michelle Gildernew, MP, MLA, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and Arlene Foster, MLA, Minister of the Environment.
Progress Report
3. The Council noted progress made since the last meeting in September 2002 and welcomed the opportunity to come together to discuss co-operation in the agriculture sector. Ministers welcomed the mutually beneficial collaborative work taken in response to the recent outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease and Bluetongue disease and earlier outbreaks of Avian Influenza in Britain. This co-operation had ensured a common approach was adopted to preventing these diseases from entering the island of Ireland while maintaining trade levels.
Co-operation on Animal Health
4. The Council noted an all-island Animal Health and Welfare Strategy paper developed by the North/South Animal Health and Welfare Steering Group. They restated that the free movement of animals on the island continues to be the ultimate aim of the animal health and welfare strategy and that the way forward is through co-operation and the development of complementary policies.
5. Ministers noted that the Strategy includes a list of initial activities for delivery of key elements with various milestones and deadlines for the immediate period ahead.
6. They requested that officials continue to oversee progress and to submit further measures to implement the Strategy for approval at the next NSMC sectoral meeting.
Plant Health
7. The Council agreed that North South cooperation on plant health should focus on the status of pests and diseases threatening the island's plant health and co-operation on EU matters.
8. Ministers noted that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is developing a plant health strategy for Northern Ireland which will include a section on North/South co-operation consistent with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food plant health strategies.
9. Ministers also agreed that the work of the North/South Pesticide Steering Group should focus on the production of co-ordinated pesticide usage surveys for grassland and fodder crops, and for arable crops.
Common Agricultural Policy Issues
10. The Council agreed that officials from the Departments should remain in close contact on a range of key CAP issues including the EU Commission’s recent adoption of a single Common Market Organisation, the reform of the Fruit and Vegetable sector and the forthcoming CAP “Health Check”. Ministers noted that future NSMC meetings will consider and review common challenges and opportunities arising from the EU dimension of agriculture.
Cross-Border Rural Development
11. The Council noted the work of the North/South Steering Committee on Cross Border Rural Development. They agreed that the future work of the Committee should focus on developing the maximum co-operation in the implementation of rural development programmes and policy, including EU programmes and to examine the scope for a common approach to the feasibility of developing cross-border area based strategies and rural development research.
12. Ministers welcomed the progress achieved under the funding provided by the EU Peace Programmes, particularly the strong focus on rural areas which had been particularly disadvantaged as a result of the conflict.
13. They requested officials to bring forward a report and recommendations, to the next meeting of the NSMC in the Agriculture Sectoral Format, in respect of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 and co-operation projects.
Next Meeting
The Council agreed that its next meeting in this Sectoral Format would take place in Spring 2008.
Joint Secretariat
November 2007