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According to a relevant announcement, Cyprus was represented at the Council by the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Andreas Gregoriou.
In his intervention Mr. Grigoriou called on the Commission to proceed as soon as possible with the adoption of the new measure for the possibility of further funding of affected farmers from the Rural Development Fund, pointing out that the effects of the war and the increases in the prices of fertilizers, feed and fuel have significantly squeezed the profit margins for producers.
Mr. Grigoriou made special reference to the increasing problems of sustainability of primary sector enterprises in Cyprus. He also referred to the effort to facilitate the export of grain from Ukraine. Cyprus as well as other Member States expressed the view that the transport of grain by sea would speed up the whole effort.
Cyprus also supported Croatia's request for support for farmers affected by extreme weather events.
In the context of the discussion on the occasion of the update on the progress of the regulation on geographical indications, Mr. Gregoriou supported the inclusion of an amendment to allow for an extension of the 10-year transitional period for compliance with geographical indication standards for an additional five years in exceptional cases.
As he explained, the aim of the amendment is to address problems that make it difficult to implement a geographical indication in a timely manner or to manage those cases where the approval of a geographical indication takes longer than usual to complete.
In the context of the exchange of views on the application of EU sanitary and environmental standards to imported agricultural and agri-food products, Mr. Gregoriou expressed Cyprus' support for the transition to sustainable food systems.
He stressed, however, that the transition should be gradual, gradual and in line with World Trade Organization rules, as significant difficulties are expected regarding the extension of EU standards to third countries.
Gregoriou also added that the specificities recognised for third country farmers in terms of the production of their products and the pressures arising from high European standards also apply to farmers in regions within the EU. He also pointed out that food security should be taken into account in the context of decision-making on trade issues, especially in difficult times.
The 27 ministers also exchanged views on the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy and on fishing opportunities for 2023. In his intervention, Mr Gregoriou underlined the importance of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations in taking measures and cooperation between EU Member States and third countries to ensure a level playing field.
He also referred to the issue of the full implementation of the landing obligation, especially for mixed fisheries and noted that alternatives should be found for its implementation, which will lead to the reduction of unwanted catches.
Mr. Gregoriou also referred to the environmental parameters affecting fisheries, stressing the importance of strengthening efforts aimed at mitigating the increasing anthropogenic pressures on the fisheries sector, as well as the need to further strengthen monitoring and control of fishing activities.
Source: KYPE
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