The European Commission will be represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, and the Commissioner for Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius.

The meeting will start with the adoption of ‘A' items, followed by a presentation of the work programme of the Swedish presidency for the semester. Ministers will then exchange views on the market situation, particularly following Russia's aggression of Ukraine, as well as on the opportunities of the bioeconomy. Under ‘Other business', ministers will discuss the revision of the animal transport legislation, income support measures for 2023, and the impact of agricultural imports from Ukraine on EU markets.

They will also discuss the agricultural aspects of the revision of the industrial emission directive and the revision of the Council Directive on honey. Finally, ministers will discuss the need for urgent support measures for farmers, as a result of the energy crisis and inflation, and exchange views on the conference of Agriculture ministers which took place in the context of the global forum for food and agriculture in Berlin on 21 January.

A press conference is expected around 19.10 p.m.

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Agriculture

Market situation, particularly in light of the Russian war against Ukraine Ministers will take stock of the market situation in member states in light of Russia's war against Ukraine. They will hear from the Commission on the latest developments on agricultural markets and discuss further possible actions to help ease the situation in Ukraine in the short and long-term, including by continuing to facilitate and strengthen land connectivity via the EU's solidarity lanes.

They are additionally expected to discuss support measures for the sectors most impacted by the war, and the possible use of the agricultural reserve. The agriculture sector has been hit by increases in energy costs and rising prices for agricultural inputs which in turn have led to volatile prices for agricultural products. With world agricultural commodity prices on a constant rise since mid-2020, Russia's war in Ukraine drove prices further up, reaching an all-time high by mid-2022. While prices have since declined, they remain at historically high levels, with average consumer food price inflation in the EU estimated at 18 per cent by October 2022, and prices still on the rise.
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Full background briefing is available via the link below.