The Ministers for Agriculture of the nine Mediterranean member states of the European Union (MED9) discussed ways to coordinate before meetings of the Council of the EU, during a working dinner hosted in Brussels on Monday by Minister for Agriculture Maria Panayiotou, as Cyprus currently holds the presidency of the group.
According to a press release by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, the working dinner was held before the Tuesday’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council, with the aim of identifying ways to promote common positions that will strengthen the demands of the European Mediterranean countries on agricultural issues.
The EU member states participating in the MED9 format are Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and Cyprus.
During the dinner, Panayiotou stressed the importance of cooperation and coordination between the Mediterranean countries ahead of meetings of the Council of the EU, especially during this critical period for agriculture.
O
ne of the common positions that the MED9 have agreed to promote is the need for increased flexibility for farmers and national authorities in order to reduce administrative burdens and improve the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy.
The MED9 will also support the European Commission’s plan to set up an observatory on production costs, profit margins and commercial practices for the benefit of farmers. They will also take joint action to strengthen the position of farmers in the agri-food chain.
The Ministers also agreed to call for additional measures and funding opportunities to address challenges in agriculture, as well as to strengthen actions on water management, resilience and water efficiency in agriculture.
They also welcomed the Commission’s proposal to amend the CAP Regulations with a deadline for completing the reforms in April this year.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
