The Cypriot Minister for Agriculture, Maria Panayiotou, told MEPs on Wednesday 28 January that, with regard to the 2028-2034 budget, “we are striving to strike a balance between the objective of establishing a single management of shared funds and the visibility and coherence of the rules on support for farmers”.
The Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council is attempting to amend a proposal, examined by the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU (Coreper), incorporating provisions of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) into the regulation on ‘national and regional partnership plans’.
Presenting her priorities to the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture, Maria Panayiotou insisted that any discussion on the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) must ensure that the instruments set to replace the current pillars of the CAP “continue to provide stable support and reduce regional disparities”.
For her, the right balance needs to be struck between sector-specific provisions and the general rules of the national strategic plans. “We have completed the preliminary work, including examining the proposals through intensive exchanges with numerous Member States”, said Maria Panayiotou. The aim of this work is to propose an acceptable compromise, by transferring certain provisions of the national plans to the CAP regulation and, where appropriate, to the regulation on the Common Market Organisation (CMO). According to Ms Panayiotou, this transfer will not affect the general architecture of the national plans.
The 2028-2034 CAP must target those who need it most, including young farmers.
“We will focus on the right tools and incentives to attract more young people into the sector, which means adequate funding”, she added.
As far as animal transport is concerned, work will continue at a technical level in order to make progress, but “it’s a difficult battle, both in the Council and in the European Parliament”, the Cypriot minister pointed out.
In response to questions from MEPs, Ms Panayiotou stressed that the Cyprus Presidency recognises the concerns relating to the balance between the high environmental standards imposed on European farmers and competition from third country producers. “An open and predictable trade approach, based on fairness and reciprocity, remains essential for farmers”, she concluded. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)