Nine Ministers of Agriculture of the European People’s Party met today in Brussels before the Council of 27. In their joint statement, they point out the need for structural solutions before the European elections, to the problem that has been created in the agricultural sector by the implementation of the new CAP.

The statement signed by Lefteris Avgenakis (Greece), Marija Vučković (Croatia), Sari Essayah (Finland), Peter Kullgren (Sweden), Norbert Totschnig (Austria), Kęstutis Navickas (Lithuania), Marek Výborný (Czech Republic), Jo Brouns ( Belgium) and Martine Hansen (Luxembourg) state the following:

“The EPP Agriculture Ministers met today in Brussels, chaired by Croatian Agriculture Minister Marija VUČKOVIĆ, to prepare the upcoming Agriculture and Fisheries Council. Ministers discussed in detail the ongoing crisis situation in the agricultural sector, which has been strongly demonstrated by farmers’ protests in various EU countries in recent weeks. They expressed the need for quick and structural solutions to ease the burden in an area that is critical to the EU’s economy and social cohesion ahead of the European elections. Ministers agreed that the necessary measures should be urgently implemented to ensure:

  • More flexible severability, especially in relation to Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC) 1, 6, 7 and 8.
  • Full exemption of farmers subject to condition checks from cross-compliance checks.
  • Full exemption of small farmers (up to 10 hectares) from compliance checks with condition requirements.
  • Relaxation of sanctions and penalties.
  • Better position of farmers in the food supply chain.
  • All legal proposals that have an impact on the agricultural sector must be accompanied by an adequate and comprehensive impact assessment.

Greece submitted 19 proposals for the CAP

During the meeting, the Greek Minister tabled 19 proposals for technical changes in the Common Agricultural Policy and pointed out the need to start the process for the structural changes necessary to be made in the new CAP.

The Minister of Rural Development and Food also said that it was decided that the EUMED-9 group would meet before each Council of European Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries so that there would be a better cooperation on the issues concerning the farmers of Europe.

But also the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of Cyprus Maria Panagiotou in her statements noted the need for the countries of the South to work together in order to strengthen the common effort for practical solutions to the problems of farmers.

The following is the statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Lefteris Avgenakis (on camera):

“The second meeting of the 9 countries of Europe, EUMED 9, has ended. Clearly the central issue is the response that the EU must show to the real, fair demands of all European farmers. We listen to their problems, their anxiety and for this reason we take initiatives. In the coming days, we will all submit a joint framework of proposals for technical improvements to the CAP. As Greece, we already have a complete package with 19 interventions. Perhaps this can be enriched or diversified. Nevertheless, we start with a base. And of course the next brave, big step is the necessary structural changes that must be made in the CAP 2023-2027. It takes a long way, patience and good cooperation. Through this cooperation, many and important things can arise from the European edifice and especially for Europe’s agriculture and fisheries. We continue our effort, before each Council of Ministers, it was decided to have a corresponding meeting, so that we are better prepared to work on the issues concerning the agriculture and fisheries sector of Europe”.

The following is the statement of Maria Panagiotou, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of Cyprus (on camera)

“Today we had the second meeting for 2024 of EUMED 9, a very good meeting, as we have important issues concerning our farmers on our agenda. I come here with as main pillars those on which I base the positions and those that we ask to change. On the one hand, there are the demands of our farmers because we are in an open process of dialogue with them and massive pillars described in the “Nikos Christodoulidis” government program concerning the fair income of farmers, consumer safety, environmental protection. Therefore today we have decided that we will meet before each Council. Cyprus is the presiding country for EUMED 9 for 2024. So we will organize, in the coming months, all our meetings before each Council. What I submitted today is for a text to be released, which we will prepare as a memorandum of understanding, so that we all agree on how our meetings will take place as well as the common proposals that we will submit together to gain trust of our farmers and to achieve this we will have to provide practical and direct solutions to their requests. The power in the union and what we start and continue in EUMED 9 is what will strengthen our common claims”.

The statements of the other ministers participating in EUMED-9 moved along the same wavelength

The intervention of Avgenakis at the meeting of EUMED-9

At the EUMED-9 meeting, the Greek minister referred to the climate crisis and its effects on agricultural production, while regarding the new CAP, he noted that although it is taking important steps for the climate transition in the long term, it needs significant reforms in the short and medium term so that:

the climate transition to take place in a sustainable manner, and not to disproportionately burden our farmers. He made special reference to the need to simplify the CAP and reduce bureaucracy

(to create a Collective European Tool to deal with climate crises by utilizing 2% of the CAP to deal with the effects of extraordinary natural phenomena, such as those that happened in Thessaly.

Lefteris Avgenakis believes that the proposals submitted by the European Commission are moving in the right direction, characterizing the discussion taking place in the Council as a very big opportunity to promote the common goals in terms of more generalized modifications to the CAP than those allowed by the present framework .

Greece submitted 19 proposals for technical changes to the CAP, while the Greek minister pointed out the need to start the discussion on structural changes as well.

Among the 19 proposals are the following:

Simplification of controls and rationalization of penalties

We support exemptions from health checks for small farmers and no penalty for any farmer not complying with the Standards in the year 2024.

Amendments for the sustainable transition and protection of small producers

Flexibility in the application of Airworthiness Standards based on regional and local characteristics, both for the year 2024 and in the long term.

Possibility to use 2% of the CAP at will in times of crisis

The agricultural reserve is not enough to cover all types of crises. At the level of immediate reaction, the Greek minister said that he has expressed his support for the adhoc mechanism proposed by Croatia to utilize part of the CAP Strategic Plans budget.

Facilitation of the transfer of unallocated amounts between years

for the annual interventions of the first Pillar.

Harmonization of regulatory requirements regarding investments in irrigation projects.

Simplifying and speeding up the process of approving amendments to Strategic Plans, as well as increasing the number of permitted amendments. As he said, he considers the reinstatement of the N+3 rule self-evident

Strengthening the position of farmers in the agri-food chain

As he said, “the survival of our farmers depends primarily on their competitiveness. Unfair trade practices undermine the contribution of farmers in the chain, strengthen monopolies and work negatively for the whole of society which bears huge increases in the prices of basic food items”.