By Penelope Galliou

With an eye on Brussels it is today the Greek farmers, together with their European colleagues, who are demanding solutions to their demands, which prompted them to take to the European streets in protest. French, German, Italian, Spanish, Belgian, Dutch and Greek farmers expect from today’s emergency summit of the 27, even though agriculture is not on the agenda, a “nod in the affirmative”.

A “signal” that there is scope for a change in European policy, for which they are protesting today and are expected to be outside the Summit meeting increasing pressure on European governments.

But it will not be only the farmers who “take” their mobilizations to the Belgian capital, but also the leaders of the countries affected by the mobilizations are expected to transfer the pressure exerted on them and raise the issue, which overshadows the meeting of the 27 and seems to be emerging as one of the key issues that will occupy the margins – at least – of the Summit. The fermentation already started during last night’s dinner of the leaders, looking for common answers and solutions possibly through Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) while individual contacts and processes will continue today.

And the Commission, however, seems to have received the message of European farmers, attempting to play a firefighting role and proposing measures to limit imports of agricultural products from Ukraine, as well as allowing farmers to derogate for one year from some Community rules. This is a first step, which gives the baton to the leaderships of the member states to examine it and proceed to the next ones.

The agricultural issue is expected to raise, even informally, the Greek Prime Minister, in Brussels given that many of the demands of the Greek farmers depend on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). “‘As you know, many decisions that affect you also have to do with decisions of the Common Agricultural Policy, I want to tell you one more thing, and I think this should be an overall European policy. We cannot impose on farmers and breeders us to have a cost to adapt to climate change and at the same time import into the EU products from countries that do not have the same obligations and do not put the same high standards on their products. This is a European issue that will concern us very strongly in the coming years months,” emphasized Kyriakos Mitsotakisduring the meeting he had with farmers in Vonitsa, shortly before leaving for the Summit.

On the subjects of the Synod’s agenda, the Greek Prime Minister goes to the Belgian capital with Greece’s expressed position that a comprehensive approach to the mid-term review of the Multiannual Financial Framework is needed, i.e. a package deal that will not only include aid to Ukraine, but and increased resources for Immigration and natural disasters.

It is recalled that the last negobox in which there was a political agreement of the 26 at the European Council last December, covered the concerns and priorities of Greece, as, in addition to financing to Ukraine, it also included priorities set by Kyriakos Mitsotakis: increased funds for migration and for dealing with natural disasters, as well as flexibilities in the use of Community funds concerning the period 2014-2020.