Calendar
Monday 16 September
Mr Margaritis Schinas delivers a keynote speech at the launch of the network of Brussels based Ambassadors on health and health related issues.
Tuesday 17 September
Ms Stella Kyriakides delivers pre-recorded remarks to the World Cancer Congress 2024; delivers pre-recorded remarks to the Workshop on ‘Patients’ Rights and Rare Diseases in the European Union’.
Wednesday 18 September
Ms Stella Kyriakides delivers pre-recorded remarks to the CraNE Joint Action Final Conference, held by the Slovenian National Institute of Public Health in Brussels.
Commission authorises higher advance CAP payments to EU farmers
The Commission has today authorised EU Member States to pay higher advances of Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) funds to agricultural producers, thus helping to address the liquidity problems that many of them currently face. Provided Member States make use of this authorisation, farmers will be able to receive up to 70% of their direct payments in advance as of 16 Octobe
r, compared with 50% currently. Similarly, advance payments for area and animal-based interventions under rural development can be increased by up to 85%, instead of the usual 75%. EU farmers continue to face liquidity problems, notably due to extreme weather events which have had an impact on yields in recent years, as well as high interest rates on European financial markets and high prices of agricultural inputs and commodities. To respond to these challenges, and in line with one the CAP’s fundamental objectives to provide an economic safety net for EU farmers, a number of Member States requested this authorisation. The Commission took swift action to provide this much-needed support to EU farmers while also ensuring legal certainty for Member States. In addition to several measures that brought more flexibility for farmers and national administrations taken earlier this year, the Commission has also distributed part of the agricultural reserve to farmers of certain Member States who faced significant dif
ficulties due to exceptional weather.
(For more information: Olof Gill – Tel.: +32 2 296 59 66; Thérèse Lerebours – Tel.: +32 2 296 33 03)
Commissioner Johansson in Ukraine to reinforce EU cooperation on migration and security
Yesterday, Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson visited Kyiv to strengthen EU-Ukraine cooperation on migration and security matters.
During her visit, the Commissioner met with the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, and Minister for Justice of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, to discuss the next steps on Ukraine’s road to EU accession. This was also one of the main subjects for discussion with the new Minister for Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, alongside the temporary protection for Ukrainians fleeing the war and the country’s plans for reconstruction.
During the exchange with the new Deputy Head of the President’s Office, Ihor Vereschuk, with whom she discussed the safety of children returning to Ukraine, and with the Minister of Interior, Ihor
Klymenko, she spoke about increased cooperation on internal security – notably firearms control, border protection and law enforcement – building on Ukraine’s remarkable progress so far. The Commissioner discussed the ongoing reform in the justice sector and the fight against corruption with Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin.
The Commissioner also gave a speech at the Summit of the First Ladies and Gentlemen on child security, hosted by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska.
On behalf of the President of Ukraine, Commissioner Johansson was presented with the Order of Merit, second class ‘for outstanding personal contributions for strengthening inter-state cooperation, supporting state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine’.
This visit underlines the EU’s unwavering commitment to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people for as long as it takes. The EU has welcomed and supported all those fleeing from the Russian invasion through the Temporary Protection Directive, adopted in March 2022 and rec
ently extended until March 2026. So far, more than four million people displaced from Ukraine are hosted in the EU Member States and Schengen Associated countries.
(For more information: Anitta Hipper – Tel.: +32 2 298 56 91; Yuliya Matsyk – Tel.: +32 2 291 31 73)
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Source: Cyprus News Agency