Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Maria Panayiotou, has highlighted the challenges and priorities of the discussions—both regarding fish stocks and the European Commission’s proposal for the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Speaking on 11 December, she further stressed, upon her arrival at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AgriFish) in Brussels, the last before Cyprus assumes the Presidency of the Council of the EU, that “European agriculture cannot remain resilient and sustainable unless simplification and innovation are placed at the core of the new CAP.”
The Minister stressed that at today’s Council “we are discussing the fishing opportunities for the Atlantic, the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea,” emphasizing that “our goal is to reach a balanced political agreement that ensures stability for the 2026 fishing season.” She noted that “the discussion on fishing quotas is a very important issue for our own fisheries, and we will work constructively over the next 24 hours with the aim of achieving positive results.”
Referring to agriculture, she stated that the discussion focuses “on the crucial role of innovation and simplification in shaping the future CAP,” noting that “European agriculture cannot remain resilient and sustainable unless simplification and innovation are placed at the core of the new CAP.”
As she explained, “farmers urgently need access to new technologies and financial tools under more flexible rules,” adding that the new CAP must “allow them to innovate faster, ensuring generational renewal and sustainability.” A CAP that is “simpler to implement and quicker to innovate is a CAP that keeps our citizens food-secure and our agriculture future-proof,” she underlined.
The Minister also remarked that “if we truly want our farmers to lead the green and digital transition, then our policies must show the way first.”
Panayiotou thanked the Danish Presidency, saying that “today is the last AGRIFISH under the Danish Presidency, and I warmly thank the Danish Minister, my dear friend, Jacob Jensen, for a productive semester.” She also assured that “Cyprus, as the incoming Presidency, is committed to acting constructively as an honest broker, fostering cooperation to deliver progress with unity and purpose.”
“For us it is clear that our farmers must have access to innovation, while at the same time benefiting from simplified procedures, because their productive time should be spent in the field, not in administrative offices,” she added.
“The Common Agricultural Policy is a key pillar for food security, social cohesion and farmers’ income,” and “is one of Europe’s main tools for ensuring food security and income stability.” For this reason, she said, “continuing the dialogue on the proposal for the new CAP, with the aim of finding common ground that responds to the needs of farmers, is a main priority for the Cypriot Presidency.”
She recalled that “the CAP is one of Europe’s main strategic instruments for food security and the stability of agricultural income,” clarifying that one of the key priorities of the Cypriot Presidency will be “to continue negotiations on the proposed CAP package so that common landing zones can be identified.”
Concluding, she noted that the next Council will take place in a few days in January—where the priorities of the Cypriot Presidency will be formally presented to the Ministers.
(Source: CNA)
