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- Ελληνικά
Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Dr Maria Panayiotou attended the EU Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers held in Brussels on 15 July 2024. The main issues addressed by the Council were the sustainability of rural areas and the renewal of generations as well as trade-related agricultural issues.
In her opening statement, Dr Panagiotou stressed that the main objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) should be to ensure a fair income for producers, food security and food safety for citizens and the preservation and strengthening of the social fabric of rural areas.
During the debate on the sustainability of rural areas and the renewal of generations of the rural population, the Minister noted that the main source of income in these areas is agricultural production. For this reason, she said, the existing CAP instruments should also be enriched with new innovative actions to support small and medium-sized farms and family farms, so that rural areas can remain competitive and attractive. Dr Panagiotou added that it is considered necessary to design a holistic policy for the countryside, making use of available funds and other EU policies in order to strengthen infrastructure for health, education, housing, creation of alternative sources of employment, digitalisation of services and connectivity of rural areas. The Minister informed that in Cyprus progress has been made in this direction, with the adoption of the National Development Strategy for Mountain Communities, aimed at enhancing the sustainability of rural areas.
In the context of the discussion on trade-related agricultural issues, Dr Panagiotou supported ensuring unhindered, fair and rules-based EU food trade with third countries. Trade with Third Countries, she noted, should be based on trade agreements that safeguard the competitiveness of the EU agricultural sector by creating a level playing field, as European farmers produce their agricultural products under strict standards that promote food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection. He supported Spain's initiative to improve European agricultural promotion programmes, stressing the need to simplify the legislative framework and reduce the administrative burden in order to maintain the EU's leading role in food trade.
During the working lunch, in the presence of European Commissioner Stella Kyriakidou, the issue of preserving European food traditions was discussed. Dr Panagiotou expressed her reservations regarding the prospect of new innovative foods including the production of meat in the laboratory and suggested that extensive research be carried out, on the basis of which scientific findings would be subject to thorough evaluation and impact assessment.
(B]PIO[/B]
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