This means that for the next six months they will chair and set the agendas for all ten Council configurations, including the Agriculture and Fisheries functions.
While their overarching priorities are growth and employment, freedom and security, citizenship rights and a stronger role for Europe in the world, the Italians, led by their new Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina, have also identified an ambitious work programme for farming.
That’s likely to include the following streams:
- Finalising the EU promotion policy
- A review of organics regulation
- School fruit and milk schemes
- Zootechnical legislation
- Plant health
- Seeds and propagating material
- CAP reform
- EU2020
- Young farmers
- Trade agreements
- Air quality
It’s an wide-ranging list and it won’t be easy for the Italians as there remain a number of unknowns in Brussels in the new Parliamentary rapporteurs and new Commissioners. However, the Italians hope to make significant inroads and have committed to a strenuous work schedule of working groups and meetings.
Italy will work alongside Latvia and Luxembourg, who together make up the “Trio Presidency” running from 1 July 2014 to 31 December 2015.
The ten configurations of the EU Council:
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