If this ministry is responsible within the Federal Government for dealing with a particular policy area, the bills it drafts, along with initiatives from the federal states on the same topics, are allocated to the Agricultural Committee, which is then in charge of examining the proposals. The Agricultural Committee is also involved in discussion of the issues if bills do not fall within the sphere of competence of the Ministry of Agriculture but are nonetheless relevant to the policy areas it handles.
The committee examines the following specific topics:
- Preventive consumer health protection, particularly with reference to foodstuffs and consumer goods
- Protection of animals and animal health
- The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union
- Development of rural areas
- Forestry
- Fisheries policy
- Genetic engineering
In addition to examining proposed bills and ordinances (implementing regulations) within national legislation, the committee also considers a range of European Union proposals tabled in areas in which the EU devises agricultural policy.