Closer cooperation between Greece-Cyprus-Malta in the primary sector includes the memorandum of cooperation signed by the ministers of the three countries, Kostas Tsiaras, Maria Panagiotou and Anton Refalo on the sidelines of the Council of Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries, in Brussels.

Among other things, it is planned to organize regular consultations on issues related to the promotion of cooperation in the field of agricultural production, such as in education, scientific developments, economic cooperation and other matters of common interest.

Also, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, the memorandum mentions the formation of working groups that will delve into specific areas of production such as capacity building through expert exchanges, internships, study visits, etc., with a focus on:

  • Soil quality.
  • Carbon sequestration.
  • Oxide emissions.
  • Supporting Young Farmers,
  • Empowering Women in Georgia.
  • Advances in Farm Animal Welfare
  • Water Management.
  • Alternative and Sustainable Farming Methods (eg hydroponics).
  • Facilitating access to formal education and/or training.
  • Advising on legislative reviews and sharing best practice.
  • Promote cooperation in projects that help smallholder farmers in value addition, especially in marketing and processing.
  • Creation or enhancement of information systems for agriculture.
  • Facilitating exchange visits for farmers.

According to the same announcement, a preparatory meeting of the European People’s Party was held earlier, ahead of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, which was chaired by the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Kostas Tsiaras, with the Finnish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Sari Essayah.

Mr. Tsiaras pointed out that this is a particularly important Council, as the assessment of the second year of the CAP’s strategic plans is taking place and he added that other issues of common interest will be at the center of the discussion, such as the outbreak of zoonotic diseases in Europe, the spread of blue fever in Belgium and of course the successful treatment of plague of small ruminants (PPR) in Greece.

Ministers warmly welcomed Commissioner-designate for Agriculture and Food, Christoph Hansen, and then exchanged views on the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2021-2027.

Finally, there was an extensive discussion on the priorities of the CAP after 2027 and all present agreed that agriculture remains a sector of strategic interest for the European Union, in order to ensure food sovereignty and ensure food security.