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Risk management on the agenda at the informal meeting of agriculture ministers

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Publication date 4.9.2017 9.14 | Published in English on 4.9.2017 at 9.21
Press release

The EU ministers of agriculture meet in Tallinn, Estonia on 3-5 September 2017. The Finnish representative at the meeting is Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Jari Leppä.

On the agenda at the meeting are the tools of the future EU agricultural policy to help farmers in risk management. Estonia, which now holds the EU Presidency, has published a document on risk management where new tools are considered to prepare even better for the risks associated with agricultural production. The Member States will discuss how the rules should be developed in the context of the next agricultural policy review to improve risk management in the sector.

Finland considers that the rules of the common agricultural policy should provide better tools to react to risks the farmers themselves cannot prepare for. Risks relating to trade policy or catastrophic weather events are such that effective policy tools are needed to level the risk.

In the Finnish view advance preparation is the most cost-efficient way to strengthen risk management. In Finland systematic work to combat plant and animal disease and high expertise of farmers have for a long time been key elements in the risk management context. At the same time more flexible solutions are needed to replace the reserve for crisis in the current direct payment scheme, and ways should be sought to increase the use of insurances.

Also on the agenda at the Tallinn meeting are the fipronil contaminated eggs. The Commission will report to the Member States on the situation and actions taken. In Finland no fipronil residues have been found in eggs or egg products sold to the consumers. Fipronil is not approved to be used for food production animals.

Inquiries at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Kari Valonen, Director, Head of EU Coordination and International Affairs
tel. +358 295 162 269
kari.valonen@mmm.fi

Animals and plants EU and international affairs Food and agriculture Jari Leppä Rural areas