The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christoph Hansen, was handed the final text which includes specific proposals to strengthen the European agricultural sector, and which is the product of work and cooperation of the Ministers of Agriculture belonging to the European People’s Party.

During the meeting held under the supervision of the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Kosta Tsiara and the Finnish counterpart, Sari Esaya, the joint strategy was formed on the changes to be made in the Common Agricultural Policy after 2027.

As described in an announcement by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, among the main priorities of the European People’s Party submitted to the Commission is to ensure a fair and effective CAP, which will meet the needs of European farmers and local communities. In particular, the EPP calls for the maintenance of the two-pillar structure of the CAP, which includes direct aid, while at the same time the need for simplification of procedures and greater flexibility for the member states was underlined.

THE Minister of Rural Development and Food Kostas Tsiaras underlined that the text of the EPP constitutes a first basis for the formulation of the European Commission’s Vision for Agriculture. As stated it is “particularly important are the references to adequate financing of the CAP, with the maintenance of the two pillars, the stability of agricultural incomes, the renewal of generations in the agricultural sector, investments to increase competitiveness and incentives for environmental obligations, as well as simplification , flexibility, effective crisis management, recognition of geographical specificities and support for small agricultural holdingsn”.

And continued “the fair distribution of direct aid must take into account factors such as geographical specificities, production costs, the value of land, but also income differences between member states”, emphasizing the need to support small agricultural units, which often cannot benefit from economies of scale.

In their statement, Mr. Tsiaras and Ms. They called for a more realistic, fairer and more attractive CAP for young producers.

“We are calling for a strong Common Agricultural Policy, which takes into account the reality facing farmers, with increasing demands and decreasing profits, which is more strategic and less detailed than the current one, and which sets a new direction for agriculture in the European Union. A direction that will make agriculture an attractive option for young peoplethey concluded.