On Monday 16 June, on the margins of the informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Warsaw, Czesław Siekierski, Poland’s Minister of Agriculture, said that recent discussions between EU countries on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) had highlighted the need to maintain a separate CAP, “with its own budget based on two pillars, because it guarantees food security and safety”.
The reform envisaged by the European Commission, which would aim to establish a plan per country encompassing several policies (including Cohesion and the CAP), is causing concern among European agriculture ministers (see EUROPE 13648/1).
During a visit to Skierniewice, known as the horticultural capital of Poland, Mr Siekierski spoke to the press about the work carried out under his Presidency on simplifying CAP rules, new genomic techniques and strengthening the position of farmers in the food chain (see EUROPE 13659/7).
Finally, he reaffirmed that Poland did not accept the free trade agreement concluded between the EU and the Mercosur countries as it stood – a position shared by France, Austria and Hungary (see EUROPE 13654/18). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)