Doc. 9656

16 January 2003

The introduction of a quality label for food products derived from hill farming

Recommendation 1575 (2002)

Reply from the Committee of Ministers

adopted at the 823^rd meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (9 January 2003)

1.       The Committee of Ministers has considered Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1575 (2002) on the introduction of a quality label for food products derived from hill farming and agreed to bring it to the attention of the governments of its member states so that they may take account of its contents in their agricultural policy and practice.

2.       The Committee of Ministers recognises the interest for member states to promote sustainable agriculture and rural development as essential to the implementation of an integrated approach to increasing food production and enhancing food security and food safety in an environmentally sustainable way. In this respect, it subscribes to the goals stated in the Plan of Implementation adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg (South Africa) in September 2002.

3.       The Committee of Ministers would like to recall the conclusions of the high-level Pan-European Conference on Agriculture and Biodiversity (Paris, June 2002) and its “Final Declaration on the conservation and sustainable use of biological and landscape diversity in the framework of agricultural policies and practice”. In particular, it draws the Parliamentary Assembly’s attention to its recommendation to governments to identify and develop policy instruments supporting the multifunctional character of agriculture, in particular regarding biological and landscape diversity.

4.       The Committee of Ministers also recalls that the establishment of quality labels for food products is within the sphere of competence of national governments and the European Union.