Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government will issue its final thermal guidance later this year following consideration of responses to our own consultation and the subsequent UK consultation which closed on 9 September 2009.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27009 on 18 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I met with Commissioner Vassiliou in March this year and the Director of Animal Health, Bernard Van Goethem, in June. I was informed that the principle of the Regulation would not be overturned. However I received assurances that the Commission were well informed of our issues and they would take account of these in development of the legislation, which they have duly done. I requested a further meeting in July with Commissioner Vassiliou, but due to other commitments it was not possible to secure a meeting with her.

Officials were in contact with other Member States in the lead up to the vote taken at the Standing Committee of Food Chain and Animal Health on 14 July. Direct interaction by myself and officials have been successful in obtaining concessions on the Regulations at this time. Following the UK''s agreement not to pursue any further concessions, further meeting have not been secured. Since then I have had no meetings with EU member state representatives.

As part of implementing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Health Check, the Scottish Government was required to submit changes to the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) to the European Commission by 15 July 2009 to show how it was meeting the new challenges set by the European Commission. The Scottish Government has submitted the changes to the SRDP required following consultation with stakeholders on the SRDP''s Programme Monitoring Committee. The European Commission is currently considering those proposals and we expect to have approval from Brussels by the end of 2009. In addition, the Scottish Government is required to report annually to the European Commission on progress towards meeting the commission''s new challenges and is in the processes of setting up systems in order to do so.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26957 on 18 September 2009 All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

EU export subsidies are already subject to restrictions, as agreed in the Uruguay Round of international trade negotiations. Further modifications may be agreed in the context of the current WTO Doha Round. In the interim the Scottish Government supports the European Commission''s approach of applying export subsidies on a case-by-case basis and in compliance with WTO rules.

Scottish Government action to reduce emissions from farming is currently based around our Farming for a Better Climate initiative with support through the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP). SRDP also provides assistance to support collaborative activity throughout food chains which assist the marketing of locally produced food.

My officials are in regular contact with European Union officials regarding sheep EID and keep me fully informed of these discussions. I requested a meeting in July with Commissioner Vassiliou prior to the Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH) but she was unavailable.

I met with Irish and Hungarian Ministers in the margins of the EU Agriculture Council in March 2009 to discuss electronic identification (EID) of sheep. I urged them to support the Scottish position on sheep EID.