My Weekly Update: This week in Strasbourg, a Milk Market Observatory meeting and looking ahead to Istanbul. - Main contents

High on the agenda this week was the EU forestry strategy. As I highlighted to MEPs in Plenary, the EU has a long history of contributing through its policies to implementing sustainable forest management.

This being a "Strasbourg Week", I attended the European Parliament Plenary with my fellow College members. High on the agenda this week was the EU forestry strategy. As I highlighted to MEPs in Plenary, the EU has a long history of contributing through its policies to implementing sustainable forest management. Forestry strategy is also important for supporting the priority of the Juncker Commission through growth and jobs not only in forestry but across the forest-based sector.

I congratulated Rapporteur Elizabether Koestinger on her work in putting together a comprehensive report. I enjoyed Paul Brennan MEP's comment at the Plenary that "man's best friend is not the dog, man's best friend is the tree!" Debating the issues with the representatives of the EU citizens is of the utmost importance. This allows me to benefit from their knowledge of the real experiences and issues concerning the constituents they represent.

Aside from the debates within Plenary, I had a wide ranging discussion with EP Vice President Mairéad McGuinness MEP on agriculture issues, particularly in relation to ongoing work on the food chain.

Last week I made my way to Luxembourg for the Agriculture and Fisheries Council where Expo 2015, food labelling and the new EIB/EC Financial Instrument for agriculture were all on the agenda. I also had a good meeting with EIB Vice President Molterer on the margins to progress work on this important issue. I was glad that he could present the update to Council, especially as he was a former member, having served for nine years as Austrian Agriculture Minister. I also had opportunity to meet with Romanian Minister Daniel Constantin, Dutch Minister Sharon Dijksma, Maltese Minister Roderick Galdes as well as the new Greek Minister Evangelos Apostolou, the following day.

The College of Commissioners of the African Union were in Brussels last Thursday for a College to College meeting. I met my counterpart, Commissioner Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, and we discussed the significance of agricultural training and food security.

During one of my visits to DG AGRI last week I was met with a number of Units in the area of the CMO, economics and market analysis. I was delighted to be presented with the work of not just the teams but also the individuals who make up the DG.

Given the end of milk quotas on April 1st, Market information is more important than ever, now that milk quotas have expired. With that in mind I attended yesterday the meeting to mark the first anniversary of the Milk Market Observatory.

Next week sees my first visit to Istanbul where I'll attend the G20 Agriculture Ministers meeting. Speaking at G20 is an opportunity to involve European agriculture in global cooperation to ensure food security. Today, more than 11% of the world population suffers from food insecurity and this is simply unacceptable. In Istanbul we will discuss ways in which world food systems can increase in efficiency, productivity and sustainability that allow people to have access to the food they need.

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