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It is with great pleasure that I attend and welcome the meetings of the Monitoring Committees of the co-funded programmes implemented under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is a cornerstone of rural development in our country.
I am even more pleased with the choice of Lefkara to host today's Anniversary Monitoring Committee. Lefkara, as well as the wider region, is another model of successful development and revitalisation of our countryside, taking advantage of the funding opportunities offered by the CAP funding programmes over the last twenty years.
The completion of 20 years of Cyprus' accession to the European Union (EU) and the implementation of the CAP is an important milestone, which gives us the opportunity to undertake a constructive review of this period. Despite the difficulties and problems encountered, particularly in the early years of implementation, perseverance and hard work have led to significant steps forward. This progress is due both to the efforts of the State and to the commitment of our farming community and society. I therefore express my sincere thanks to all those who participated in this joint effort and brought our Cyprus to where we are today, laying the foundations for the future of our rural development.
The special tribute, prepared by the team in our Ministry, on the rich work that has been produced, I am sure cannot reflect the true dimension of the benefits that the CAP has delivered over these 20 years. But let me focus on what I see as one of the major achievements. And I refer to the change of mindset in our rural world, but also in society.
This change of culture is about developing a European culture, a culture of cooperation, the consolidation and consolidation by all of us of the basic principles of the European project. Today, concepts such as the protection of the environment and biodiversity, the circular economy, the environmentally friendly management of agricultural land, animal welfare, food safety and the production of high quality food have become an experience and an integral part of everyday life for our farmers and for society as a whole.
At the same time, the Republic of Cyprus has now emerged from the first post-accession phase and has not only reached the level of full and active participation in European affairs, but has now emerged as an important player with a leading role in shaping European policy.
As the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, we are at the forefront of efforts to simplify the CAP. We put forward constructive positions, create dynamic partnerships and synergies with other Member States and act to ensure that the policies adopted are for the benefit of our Cypriot farmers, first and foremost.
Cyprus chairs for the year 2024 the EUMED-9 cooperation, i.e. the nine EU Member States bordering the Mediterranean Sea. From the very first moment we took advantage of this opportunity by organising monthly meetings of the nine ministers before or after the meetings of the Council of Agriculture Ministers.
This initiative by Cyprus helped to coordinate positions and increase our negotiating power before the Council. It is in this way that we managed to achieve favourable changes for the benefit of our farmers in the context of the revision of the CAP regulatory framework, which was published a few days ago.
By way of example, I would like to mention the possibility of additional funding through eco-scheme for our farmers to fulfil the obligation to maintain unproductive land. Furthermore, I record a very important step towards the simplification of the CAP: the exemption of small farmers, up to ten hectares, from controls and possible sanctions under conditionality.
In the context of the Cyprus MED9 Presidency, I am particularly pleased to report that we have agreed with my eight other counterparts on a Joint Communiqué, which we issued the day before yesterday. This is an important development as this Joint Statement is a strong signal of unity and cooperation among the Mediterranean countries. A cooperation that aims to find effective and immediate ways to address the challenges we face in the agricultural sector, taking into account the specific conditions of the Mediterranean region.
It is important for us to host here in Cyprus, on 3 September 2024, the Official Meeting of MED9 Agriculture Ministers. This Summit is not just a meeting, but our commitment to intensify cooperation in order to formulate common strategies that will focus on creating a sustainable agricultural sector that is resilient and able to meet future challenges, particularly in the face of extreme weather and drought caused by climate change.
For us here in Cyprus, this is a matter of vital importance. Together with our farmers, we are experiencing first-hand the decrease in rainfall and the increasing drought, which leads to reduced irrigation rates and difficulties in cultivation. Our effort, precisely, is to use the resources provided by the EU to invest in this sector, developing innovative technologies and practices that enhance the sustainability and resilience of our primary sector and relieve our farmers.
The current period is particularly challenging, as both the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 and the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 are being implemented.
Within the framework of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, we are closely monitoring the progress made in the implementation of investments by the beneficiaries of Scheme 4.1 "Investments in agricultural and livestock holdings" and Scheme 6.1 "Support for the first establishment of young farmers". Particularly for our young farmers, I am pleased to announce that to date more than 190 young farmers have started their establishment and have received the first instalment of their payment, with a total amount of €3.6 million.
As we, as the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, have repeatedly stated, young people will continue to be at the heart of our policy, as they are the future of Cypriot agriculture. We expect to intensify the implementation of investments and payments in the coming period. Our aim is to use all the European funds allocated to Cyprus, paying 100% of the funds by the end of 2025. Therefore, the Government's support and commitment to the promotion and resolution of any problems that arise during the implementation of investment actions is also emphasized through this opportunity and we remain firm pillars of facilitating producers in their efforts.
With regard to the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027, after the successful implementation and payment of almost all payments of the extensification and header subsidies, we have decided and proceeded with the re-launch of all extensification and header measures also for the year 2024, resolving in the meantime through an amendment of the Plan some points that had been identified and needed to be reviewed. The Beekeeping Programme and the National Support Programme for Viticulture (NSP) have also been activated and are now part of the broader CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
The following is a series of new calls for proposals, which are detailed below. I will, however, refer to the upcoming call, around the end of June 2024, for the investment measure, which covers targeted small-scale investments in areas such as the installation of anti-pollution devices to protect our crops, circular economy actions, and the installation of Renewable Energy Sources for on-farm irrigation and other purposes. The announcement of the major investment measure is also planned after the summer.
The purpose of the Monitoring Committee is to monitor the progress of the Plans in cooperation with the Managing Authority. The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment is in constant consultation with all stakeholders, the members of the Monitoring Committee and especially with the farmers' organisations, with whom we have strengthened and intensified our contacts in recent times. After all, we all have a common goal: to implement interventions that are tailored to the needs of our country for the benefit of our society and our rural population.
It is in this context, and on the basis of the Governance Programme of the President of the Republic Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, we are proceeding with the consultation of the new strategic study with stakeholders, groups of producers, farmers and professional fishermen, while we have completed the costing of a series of initiatives to make the primary sector more resilient and competitive. The aim is for the new strategy for the development of the primary sector to include tools that can address the challenges and further facilitate our rural world.
In closing, I would like to thank all those involved in the implementation and management of the Plans in this intense and pressurised period.
Warm thanks to all Departments and Services within and outside the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment and in particular to the Department of Agriculture, the Cyprus Organisation for Agricultural and Rural Development, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment.
Warm thanks to all those involved in the implementation and management of the Plans in this intense and pressurised period.
Finally, in our twenty-year journey, the experts and so many other unseen protagonists made a most important and decisive contribution, who acted with the characteristic enthusiasm and teamwork that our nation in times of decisive historical moments stand up to the circumstances and produce work that remains alive in the long run.
I wish the work of the Monitoring Committees well.
(Ephys/MS/NYAN)
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