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- Ελληνικά
Today we are discussing three very important issues in the Council. The first is the Crisis Management Fund, a fund that our own farmers are asking for to deliver much more promptly, in a much shorter time in terms of compensation to our farmers.
What we have asked for - our submission - is that the remainder of the funds that are left over from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) can be used for this purpose, to be given to our farmers. The second is to use the 2% of the €454 million envelope that we have available, and give it for crisis-related compensation.
We should say that these two are suggestions that were widely accepted in the two sessions that we had as MED9 under the Cyprus Presidency and we have submitted them to the European Commission's position paper. I can say that we have been well received.
The second very important issue that we are discussing today is the increased cost of production. A problem which our farmers are facing because of the morphology of Cyprus. We are an island state, when it is necessary for our farmers to receive support in this area, so that they can remain viable and competitive at European Union level. And this is where we have presented our positions and we call on the European Commission to support us in practice.
The third very important issue that we are discussing today is the information that we are presenting on the problem that we face as the Republic of Cyprus with water scarcity and drought. As you are well aware, we have informed our farmers well in advance that for this year we will have a reduction, on average 33.7%, in the amount of water for irrigation purposes. This creates a number of problems for production, but also for our farmers themselves. I recall that in our dams we have 44% water reserves, whereas last year in the same period we had 66%. So we all understand that this is a huge problem.
Today we are informing the European Commission and we invite it to examine the issue and to submit to us the proposals and the measures that it proposes, so that together with the other Member States that are facing similar problems, we can find the tools that will provide an immediate solution to the problems of our farmers.
(Ephys/NYAN/EATH)
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