CAP must aim to ensure fair incomes for producers, Panayiotou stressed in Brussels

The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union should prioritise ensuring fair incomes for producers, food security and support for the social fabric of rural areas, Minister for Agriculture Maria Panayiotou said during the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of the EU held in Brussels.

The main topics of the 15 July meeting, according to an announcement by the PIO, were the sustainability of rural areas and generational renewal, as well as trade-related agricultural issues.

According to the PIO, the Minister of Agriculture said in her introductory remarks that the main objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) should be to ensure fair incomes for producers, food security and food safety for citizens, and to maintain and strengthen the social fabric of rural areas.

Speaking during a debate on the sustainability of rural areas and the demographic renewal of the rural population, Panayiotou noted that the main source of income in these areas is agricultural production, and that therefore "existing CAP tools should be enriched with new innovative actions to support small and medium-sized farms and family farms, so that rural areas can remain competitive and attractive".

She stressed the need for a "holistic rural policy, using available funds and other EU policies to strengthen health, education and housing infrastructure, as well as the creation of alternative sources of employment, the digitalisation of services and the connectivity of rural areas".

Panayiotou briefed her counterparts on the steps taken in Cyprus towards enhancing the sustainability of rural areas through the adoption of a national development strategy for mountain communities.

During the discussion on trade issues, Panayiotou noted that Cyprus supports ensuring unhindered, fair and rules-based food trade between the EU and third countries, on the basis of trade agreements "that safeguard the competitiveness of the EU's agricultural sector by creating a level playing field, since European farmers produce their agricultural products under strict standards that promote food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection".

The Agriculture Minister supported Spain's initiative to improve European agricultural promotion programmes, and stressed the need to simplify the legislative framework and reduce the administrative burden in order to maintain the EU's leading role in food trade.

The Agriculture Ministers also discussed the issue of preserving European food traditions during a working lunch attended by the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakidou.

Panayiotou expressed her reservations about the prospect of new innovative foods, including the production of meat in the laboratory, and suggested that an extensive study be carried out, and that the findings should be subjected to a thorough evaluation and impact assessment.

(Source: CNA)