Minister of Agriculture Maria Panayiotou is in Brussels to take part in the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council, where discussions will focus on food security, farmer income support under the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and key challenges in the fisheries sector.
According to a statement from the ministry, EU ministers will on 17 November hold an orientation debate on strengthening food security and better targeting support for farmers and production sectors within the framework of the European Commission’s proposal for the CAP after 2027. Member states are expected to outline their views on income-support tools that could reinforce food security and on the main risks that could be addressed through strategic reserves of agricultural products without disrupting market orientation.
Panayiotou is set to underline the importance of inclusive support for all potential food producers and sectors in need, stressing that member states must retain flexibility to tailor policies to their specific priorities. She will also highlight the risks posed to food production by ongoing drought conditions in Cyprus, and refer to national efforts to bolster the resilience of the island’s agri-food sector, including plans to establish strategic stock mechanisms.
Ministers will additionally exchange views on food trade in light of the EU’s deepening relations with Ukraine.
On fisheries, the Council will discuss fishing opportunities—mainly for 2026—in the Atlantic, the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Panayiotou is expected to stress the serious challenges Cyprus faces in the Eastern Mediterranean and to call for a fair and proportionate allocation of total allowable catches, particularly for large pelagic species such as bluefin tuna and for deep-water shrimp.
(Source: CNA)
