Agriculture Minister το discuss CAP simplification with EU counterparts in Luxembourg

Cyprus' Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment, Maria Panayiotou, is in Luxembourg to take part on Monday at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council with EU counterparts, as well as preside over the second meeting of the EUMED-9, aiming to promote proposals for simplifying CAP regulations and bolstering farmers' positions in the food supply chain.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Agriculture, Panayiotou, in collaboration with agricultural organisations, presented proposals for amending CAP regulations during the previous Council of Agriculture and Fisheries on 26 March, and which were ultimately adopted by the Council.

The amendments proposed by the Cypriot Minister aimed to further increase production and secure additional agricultural income, particularly for vulnerable sectors of Cypriot agriculture. They are also considered beneficial for farmers operating in mountainous regions, as emphasised in the announcement.

"The European Parliament approved the modification of key CAP regulations on 24 April, on the Council of Ministers' proposal, which is a positive step for Cypriot and EU farmers, as favorable provisions are established for them," the press release adds.

The new regulation, which will be published in the Official Journal of the EU in the coming days and will retroactively take effect from 1 January, institutionalises the request made by the Ministers of Agriculture of the EU Member States to reduce the administrative burden on farmers receiving support from the CAP, in a way that promotes the economic sustainability of agricultural holdings while simultaneously upholding the high environmental ambitions of the CAP.

Meanwhile, before the start of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, the Cypriot Minister of Agriculture, under the auspices of the Cypriot Presidency of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement of the 9 EU Member States (MED9), convenes the second consecutive meeting of the Ministers of the Mediterranean member states. This meeting will aim to coordinate and find suitable tools to promote positions that strengthen their common demands on agriculture-related issues.

(Source: CNA)