Particularities of island states should be respected, Agriculture Minister says

Island EU member states and their particularities must be taken into consideration and be respected, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, Dr. Maria Panayiotou, stressed at the recent Council of Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries of the European Union that was held in Luxembourg.

According to an official press release, the Council focused on its Conclusions on the future of agriculture in the EU and the European Commission's communication on sustainable fisheries in the EU. The Conclusions on the future of agriculture in the EU were not adopted due to disagreements raised by some member states.

The Cypriot Minister initially welcomed the fact that the conclusions refer to the island member states and their particularities, which must be respected and requested that the wording in the Conclusions for "fair distribution of direct aid between the member states" take into account the parameters that differentiate the practice of agriculture in the various member states.

Regarding Cyprus, she requested that the future of agriculture and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), take into consideration the value of agricultural land, the cost of production, the cost of transport and the degree to which all these affect the viability of farmers.

Referring to fishing, she stressed the importance of the effective implementation of measures against illegal and unregulated fishing, saying that Cyprus faces significant challenges due to Turkey's illegal actions.

She also said that Cyprus is often affected by extreme weather conditions, and talked about the need to provide additional measures to support farmers.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the meeting, the Cypriot Minister invited EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, to participate in the Ministerial Conference of the Mediterranean Member States of the EU (MED9), which will take place in Cyprus in the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of MED9 between 1-3 of September.  The EU Commissioner accepted the invitation.

(Source: CNA)