Translation of "directrice de représentants agricoles " (French → English) :

For the purpose of these guidelines, ‘processing of an agricultural product’ means any operation on an agricultural product resulting in a product which is also an agricultural product, except on-farm activities necessary for preparing an animal or plant product for the first sale.

63. Supports the Commission's initiative of drawing up guidelines for best practice for the operation of all systems related to agricultural product quality; these guidelines should be followed by the operators and should include a set of concepts aimed at helping the productive sector to develop the added value of its products, encouraging the mutual recognition of certification systems and participation by the productive sector in drawing up such systems, and promoting, through producers‘ associations, the simplification of the adm ...[+++]inistrative burden of certification, with a view to reducing farmers’ costs as much as possible;

64. Supports the Commission’s initiative of drawing up guidelines for best practice for the operation of all systems related to agricultural product quality; these guidelines should be followed by the operators and should include a set of concepts aimed at helping the productive sector to develop the added value of its products, encouraging the mutual recognition of certification systems and participation by the productive sector in drawing up such systems, and promoting, through producers’ associations, the simplification of the adm ...[+++]inistrative burden of certification, with a view to reducing farmers’ costs as much as possible;

The Rapporteur hosted a lamb promotion evening in the European Parliament on December 4th 2007 sponsored by Eblex (English Beef and Lamb Executive), Bord Bia (Irish Food Agency) and Interbev (French Livestock Association) which brought together 200 representatives from EU farming groups, EU lamb processors, consumer representatives from the 27 EU Member States, the EU Agriculture Commissioner, the President of the European Parliament, the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament, MEPs and representatives from Agriculture policy units of the European Commission and from the European Permanent Representations.

47. Notes the responsibility of EU Special Representatives and EU missions abroad in promoting the EU guidelines; encourages a more proactive approach to promoting the guidelines at all levels; underlines the resource and personnel problem within EU missions in third countries concerning guideline awareness, monitoring and implementation; calls on the Member State representations in third countries and the Commission delegations to coordinate more effectively, sharing structures and staff so as to create genuine "European Union embassies" throughout the world and thereby assume responsibilities in the field of human rights;

47. Notes the responsibility of EU Special Representatives and EU missions abroad in promoting the EU guidelines; encourages a more proactive approach to promoting the guidelines at all levels; underlines the resource and personnel problem within EU missions in third countries concerning guideline awareness, monitoring and implementation; calls on the Member State representations in third countries and the Commission delegations to coordinate more effectively, sharing structures and staff so as to create genuine "European Union embassies" throughout the world and thereby assume responsibilities in the field of human rights;