The Conference of the Chairpersons of the Committees of the National Parliaments and the European Parliament on "European Policies for Citizens", which is taking place in Val de Loire, France, as part of the parliamentary dimension of the current French Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), started today. The House of Representatives is represented by MEPs Mr Giannakis Gavriel (leader), Ms Savia Orphanidou and Mr Elias Mirianthous.
In the context of the debate on the Common Agricultural Policy, Mr Gavriel said that the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have led to new and unprecedented circumstances, which have affected the agricultural sector. He pointed out that the latest developments had reduced grain stocks in many countries and caused prices of raw materials and energy to rise. In particular, Gabriel referred to the challenges facing Cyprus as an island, stressing that more emphasis should be placed on small and medium scale agriculture, supporting farmers and livestock farmers against unfair practices, ensuring adequate income for farmers and encouraging young farmers to incorporate new technologies and innovation in primary production. Gabriel stressed that the EU must keep high on its political agenda the guarantee of agricultural product quality and food safety by applying the same rules and controls to imported products from third countries. In the light of recent developments, he said, consideration should be given to setting a ceiling price for raw materials and cereals to protect farmers and to ensure that all citizens have access to basic goods at fair and affordable prices. She also noted that in order to facilitate the achievement of the EU's environmental and climate objectives, incentives and assistance should take into account the specificities of each Member State and adequate financial support.
In a discussion on improving food quality, Ms Orphanidou said that in recent years the health sector has been under pressure due to the Covid-19 pandemic and welcomed the EU's solidarity with the citizens of Ukraine in the field of health care. Ms Orphanidou stressed that human and animal health and the environment are interlinked, and therefore improving food quality, better animal welfare, the use of fewer chemical pesticides and fertilisers, as well as transparent labelling of products, will have long-term benefits in the health sector. Ms Orphanidou also underlined that all citizens, regardless of their socio-economic background, should have access to high quality products, the direct producer-consumer relationship should be strengthened and imported products from third countries should be controlled to meet European standards. Ms Orphanidou also stressed that Europe must establish a high-quality agri-food system that is less harmful to the environment and more resilient in times of crisis and promote strategies and regulations at European level that provide the necessary financial funding to Member States to support the effort to strengthen food safety in Europe. Therefore, Mirianthus said, it is necessary to ensure financial support for households and communities that will be burdened by the decarbonisation process. At the same time, Myrianthous said, it must be ensured that funding is channelled towards the intended purpose and that all citizens have access to this funding. In particular, in the area of agriculture and rural development, Mirianthous stressed that all citizens must be ensured access to both financial support and food products.
(EK)
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