EU Chief Veterinary Officers meet in Vienna

The Agenda of the Veterinary Officers' meeting includes the Community Action Programme on animal welfare and Council Conclusions on this. Other topics to be discussed include the reform of the Directive on the welfare of broiler chickens and Directive on the health of aquaculture animals. Experts will also present a review of the avian influenza situation. In connection with the meeting Finland will be holding a seminar on the cross-compliance conditions introduced in the reform of the common agricultural policy.

The Finnish and Austrian Ministries of Agriculture cooperate in the organisation of the four meetings of high officials, which means that in each sector only one meeting will be held during the two Presidencies. There are cooperation arrangements in the work of certain working groups as well. In the fisheries sector Finland chairs the working group meetings already during the Austrian Presidency.

The next meeting organised by Finland and Austria is the meeting of the EU Directors for Forestry on 28–29 June in Gmunden, Austria. The meeting of the Directors-General of Fisheries will start in Vaasa, Finland on the following day. The meeting of the Directors of Paying Agencies is in Rovaniemi, Finland on 5–7 July. The main event in the agriculture sector during the Finnish Presidency, the Informal Council of the Ministers of Agriculture, is in Oulu on 24–26 September.

Further information: Director-General Matti Aho, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry tel. +358 (0)9 160 53380, 040 516 9857 (Chief Veterinary Officers' meeting)

Senior Officer Aulikki Hulmi, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry tel. +358 (0)9 160 54265, 040 740 8452 (Finnish Presidency of the EU)