Greece’s complete and universal disagreement with the inclusion of a reference for external convergence of direct aid (Pillar I) of the CAP, was expressed by the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Kostas Tsiaras, speaking at the Council of Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries held in Luxembourg.

“This report does not agree with us and it worries us. It is a sensitive issue for us”, underlined Mr. Tsiaras, clarifying that our country’s support for the June Conclusions on the future of agriculture in the Union was in the entire text, while for this particular paragraph a relevant statement was submitted, with which it differs our country.

“The isolation of this particular paragraph and its integration into another text changes the balance. We all in this room know that it is important to adopt the concrete conclusions that convey meaningful and critical messages for the future of the CAP. And we clearly recognize the difficulty of bringing together different views and priorities in one text. However, we consider that this addition is not consistent with the approaches of the rest of the text and we cannot support the text”, added the Minister of Rural Development and Food.

As important points of the text of the Conclusions for the post-2027 CAP, as far as Greece is concerned, Mr. Tsiaras said that the references to:

1. independent CAP with the preservation of the two pillars,

2. stability of agricultural income,

3. increase of young farmers,

4. investments to increase competitiveness,

5. incentives for environmental obligations,

6. simplification and flexibility,

7. effective crisis management,

8. geographical peculiarities (mountainousness, insularity),

9. reference to small holdings, for which he requested clearer indications in the final text.

At the same time, Kostas Tsiaras pointed out that Greece supports the need for an EU adaptation strategy to climate change, especially in the agricultural sector. “Existing instruments and tools for crisis management are not sufficiently flexible or effective because they were not designed to deal with impacts related to climate change. We have to make a plan that will cover both prevention and adaptation to changes, as well as immediate response to the consequences in cases of disasters from extreme weather phenomena,” he said.

The Minister of Rural Development and Food pointed out that Europe’s approach “should include flexible rules in the management of CAP strategic plans, but also risk mitigation tools, such as reinsurance operations and support for innovation and investment”, while he reiterated that he would there must be flexibility in the transfer of EU funds, cooperation between European funds should be improved, with an emphasis on cohesion policy, and the agricultural reserve should be strengthened or a new special Fund should be created.

Regarding zoonoses, Mr. Tsiaras underlined that “adequate financial support at every level, especially for those facing extraordinary losses, contributes to the food chain maintaining its competitiveness”. And he added that “at the level of the European Union, the need for a coordinated approach is imperative.

Collective risk mapping will strengthen countries’ ability to effectively respond to growing threats,” he added.

At the Council of Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Ministry of AAT was accompanied by the Secretary General of Agricultural Policy and International Relations, Costas Baginetas.