In the framework of the World Forum on Food and Agriculture, the two ministers had an extensive discussion on a number of issues such as the problems faced by the farmers of the two countries
The Minister of Rural Development and Food Lefteris Avgenakisis in Berlin at the invitation of his German counterpart Cem Özdemir to attend the Green Week Exhibition and the World Conference of Agriculture and Food Ministers.
During his visit to the Exhibition, the Greek minister met with his German counterpart and had an extensive discussion on a number of issues concerning the problems faced by the farmers of the two countries.
Cem Özdemir, after welcoming the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Berlin, expressed his desire to visit Greece and Lefteris Avgenakis extended an open invitation to him.
The discussion between the two men also reached peasant mobilizations taking place in Germany.
As the German minister explained to his Greek counterpart, Germany’s farmers took to the streets after the plannedcuts in subsidies for the sector due to the financial crisis.
The government backtracked, partially, on some measures, such as turning the initially announced “immediate cut” of the farm oil subsidy into a gradual one. However, this change was not able to moderate the protests.
- – “What are you doing with agricultural oil”, Cem Özdemir asked Lefteris Avgenakis.
- – “We return the Excise Tax to the farmers. Last year and this year we gave a total of around 160 million (around 82 million last year and more than 76 million this year) to around 290,000 farmers by main occupation”, explained Lefteris Avgenakis. And he added that, at the same time, the government reduced by 50% the taxation on the profits of farmers operating through cooperative schemes, while a few months ago it reduced the VAT on the purchase of agricultural machinery from 24% to 13%. Also, the Mitsotakis government abolished the taxation of Community aid from the first euro, which Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis considered unacceptable.
The German minister smiled, characterized smart measures, aBut he left the meeting worried, knowing that his country cannot take such measures, since the economic crisis that has hit Germany does not allow it.
Source: Skai
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