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The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Petros Xenophontos, attended the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting held on 10-12 December 2023.
With regard to fisheries issues, Mr. Xenophontos supported the effort for sustainable management of fish stocks, with particular reference to the preservation of fishermen's rights, taking into account the socio-economic impact. He stressed the need for close cooperation between European and third countries, on the basis of recommendations from Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, and to strengthen control and monitoring of fishing activities in the Eastern Mediterranean in order to ensure a level playing field, in full respect of international law.
After three days of consultations, the Ministers reached a political agreement on the proposals for fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and North Sea, as well as in the Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus secured some 430 thousand kilos of longfin tuna, 188 thousand kilos of bluefin tuna and 50 thousand kilos of Mediterranean swordfish.
The Minister, together with his other counterparts, supported Portugal's initiative to extend the European Fund assistance scheme for fishermen and aquaculturists. The request was not granted by the Commission, which argued that the conditions for activating the Common Fisheries Policy Fund were not met.
Regarding the Regulation on new genomic techniques, Member States discussed the compromise text for a General Approach. Cyprus succeeded, after support from a significant number of Member States, in including (a) a specific provision for Mediterranean island Member States, allowing for the possibility of a ban on the cultivation of NGT1 plants in order to protect organic farming from possible cross-pollination and (b) the possibility of a ban on the cultivation of NGT2 plants on the basis of the impossibility of implementing coexistence measures with conventional crops. In his intervention, Mr Xenophontos pointed out the importance of protecting organic farming in Member States where, due to their insularity, effective coexistence measures cannot be implemented. He noted the need to maintain public confidence in organic products and their high production standards.
In the context of the discussion on the first year of implementation of the Strategic Plans, Mr Xenophontos stressed the importance of adequate support for farmers. He pointed out that the Strategic Plans should be a stable source of assistance to agriculture in an environment where the current geopolitical situation, climate change and their impact on the economy threaten its sustainability and create conditions of uncertainty for the future of food production. He reiterated Cyprus' support for the creation of an additional "ad hoc" mechanism for financial support to farmers in cases of crisis. He also stressed that the framework for the adaptation of the Strategic Plans should be further simplified, providing further flexibility to member states to ensure farmers' participation and contribution to the broader EU objectives.
On the market situation, Mr Xenophontos highlighted the multiple challenges facing the agricultural sector in Cyprus, with particular reference to drought and increased production costs. He urged the Commission to grant derogations for Good Environmental and Agricultural Condition No. 7 (crop rotation) and No. 8 (fallowing) for 2024. It also highlighted the need to increase the amount that can be made available through the agricultural reserve and to strengthen the resilience of agriculture to changing conditions. He stressed the need to enrich the possibilities of financial support for farmers with further financing tools to enable integrated and sustainable solutions for the agricultural sector.
The Commission presented its recent proposals on animal welfare, including a proposal for the protection of animals during transport and a proposal for the protection of dogs and cats. Mr Xenophontos, welcoming the package of proposals, stressed that Cyprus will make a constructive contribution to the discussions for the formulation of a workable legislative framework to ensure the improvement of animal welfare.
Finally, the Spanish Presidency presented its negotiating mandate on the Directive amending several "breakfast" Directives. In his intervention, Mr Xenophontos pointed out the need to develop in the short term harmonised laboratory methods of analysis to combat adulteration in honey and to identify the countries of harvest in honey mixtures. He also stressed the need to ensure total transparency in the food sector, at the lowest possible cost to farmers and national administrations.
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