CTA - Brussels Office Weblog - Rural development

CTA - Brussels Office Weblog - Rural development

At the 3110th Council meeting on Agriculture and Fisheries held in Brussels on 20 September 2011, the ministers held an exchange of views on the “Energy use of biomass of agricultural origin as an important element of the Common Agricultural Policy” (13910/11). All delegations welcomed the initiative from the Presidency to initiate a debate on how agriculture should contribute to the objectives of the Strategy 2020 concerning climate change. Concerning the role of CAP in supporting sustainable development of renewable energy sources in rural areas, a large majority delegations recalled that the main role of agriculture in the EU treaties is to provide food to the European citizens. Any specific agricultural policy on biomass should not be detrimental to this objective.