The Cyprus EU Council Presidency believes that a common European effort is required to support farmers, strengthen the Single Market and the competitiveness of European agriculture, and safeguard the sector against future crises, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Minister Maria Panayiotou said in Brussels on Tuesday.
Panayiotou was addressing an EU Council where issues related to the availability and cost of fertilisers, as well as the strengthening of the resilience of the agricultural sector in the European Union, were extensively discussed.
The meeting was chaired by Panayiotou, who placed the European Commission’s Fertiliser Action Plan, adopted on 19 May, at the centre of the discussion.
She noted that the issue of the affordability and availability of fertilisers has been on the agenda of the Cypriot Presidency since it assumed its mandate, and recalled that it had already been discussed in previous Council meetings since January.
The objective, she added, is to reduce production costs and strengthen the resilience of the European agricultural sector, while ensuring food security across the EU.
Following the completion of member states interventions, the Minister observed that the issue of fertilisers is emerging as an urgent priority for the European agricultural sector, particularly under the weight of geopolitical developments and the crisis in the Middle East.
She noted that member states welcome the European Commission’s Fertiliser Action Plan, which is seen as moving in the right direction, combining short-term measures to address immediate pressures in the sector with medium- and long-term interventions to support production and the market.
She stated that the interventions highlighted the need to strengthen domestic production, promote bio-based and renewable fertilisers, and reinforce supply chains, with the aim of enhancing the resilience of the EU agricultural sector.
Particular reference was also made to the use of instruments under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), with emphasis on the need for substantial support to the agricultural sector. In this context, she noted that the crisis reserve has already been activated, while issues of flexibility in measures, amendments to strategic plans, and improved information on implementation are also being examined.
Concluding the proceedings, the Minister underlined that, despite the challenges identified, the Presidency believes that a common European effort is required to support farmers, strengthen the Single Market and the competitiveness of European agriculture, and safeguard the sector against future crises.
