[PIO] The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment today chaired the 2nd meeting of EUMED-9 Agriculture Ministers

Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Dr Maria Panayiotou chaired today the meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture of the nine Mediterranean Member States of the European Union (MED9).

The meeting was organised at the initiative of Cyprus, in the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of MED9 and was attended by the Ministers of Agriculture of France, Portugal, Greece, Croatia and Malta, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Italy, the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture of Spain and representatives of Slovenia.

In her statement, the Minister referred to the common challenges and specificities that bind the nine Member States in the field of agriculture and suggested further coordination of MED9 members to enhance the promotion of common positions on agriculture:

1. further simplification of the fulfilment of farmers' environmental and climate obligations,
2. increased flexibility in implementing or adapting the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plans to address the various challenges faced by farmers,
3. the introduction of provisions for crisis management measures, including the allocation of up to 5% of the financial budget of the Strategic Plan and enhancing flexibility in the reallocation of unused resources,
4. strengthening farmers' organisational structures and farmers' own position in the food supply chain, and
5. addressing the specificities of the EU's small and geographically remote economies.

With regard to trade agreements on agricultural products, the Minister noted the need for them to be mutually beneficial to all parties, while calling for a mechanism to support the sustainability of our affected farmers to be developed.

This was followed by an exchange of views on how to tackle the current crisis in the agricultural sector by immediately amending the institutional framework of the Common Agricultural Policy so that its ecological obligations ensure a green transition without jeopardising the sustainability of European farmers and thus food security in the Union.

Concluding the meeting, Dr Panagiotou invited her counterparts to participate in the MED9 Ministerial Meeting of Agriculture Ministers, which is scheduled to take place in Cyprus on 1 September 2024, in the framework of the meetings organised by Cyprus, as the Chair country of the alliance of the nine MED9 member states.

(Ephys/EAP/EP)
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