Farmers: Today the Council of Agriculture Ministers of the EU. – On the rural crisis agenda and Ukraine

Today (26.03. 24) the board of its directors, in which the Greek Minister for Rural Development and Food Mr. Lefteris Aggenakis will participate The issues of discussion are the following: the need for rapid and structural response to the current crisis in the agricultural sector and the situation of agricultural markets after the invasion of Ukraine. Earlier, the Group of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers of the European People’s Party will meet in the EU to prepare the agenda for the meeting of the Council of Ministers. It is recalled that the PPE has adopted the 19 positions that Greece has tabled on the need to address the crisis in the agricultural sector, as has also been the case with the Southern group, EUMED-9, which will meet on the same subject, according to the announcement of the Ministry of Rural Development. On the basis of the information from the European Commission, the Agriculture Ministers will exchange views following the work carried out by the Commission after the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council held on 26 February 2024. The Council will discuss the current situation in the EU agricultural markets, particularly after Russia’s offensive war against Ukraine. The exchange of views will be based on information from the European Commission and the Member States. Ukrainian Minister for Agricultural Policy and Food, Mikola Solskyi, will address the Council before the ministers’ exchange of views. Among the “other issues” on the agenda, the Belgian Presidency will provide public information on the events it organised for the future of agriculture and the common agricultural policy (CAP). Also, at a public meeting, the Presidency will present the results of the call for animal welfare (Brussels, 29 January 2021), while the Spanish delegation will provide information on the recent Court decision in Case C-330/22 concerning fisheries. The Portuguese delegation will provide public information on European support for shipping, fisheries and aquaculture. In addition, at the request of the French delegation, there will be a point “Other Work” on the forthcoming selection of the new Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health. The Austrian delegation will provide information on the challenges posed to European agricultural and forestry undertakings by the Regulation on deforestation, while the Lithuanian delegation will inform the Council of the results of the meeting of the Ministers for Agriculture of the Nordic countries and the Baltic Sea. Finally, at the request of the Spanish delegation, there will be a debate on new genomic techniques.