Agriculture Minister leaves to attend EU meetings this week

Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou departs on Sunday for Brussels to take part in the EU Councils for the Environment and Agriculture and Fisheries to be held on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

According to an official press release, the EU environment ministers will hold a policy debate on the commission’s proposal to revise the waste framework directive, focusing on the textile and food sectors. The overall aim of the proposal is to reduce the environmental and climate impacts associated with textile and food waste generation and management.

The ministers will also exchange views on the recent Commission communication on the EU 2040 climate target.

Also, the ministers will discuss the level of ambition of the 2030 food waste reduction objectives and the effectiveness of the extended responsibility of textile producers to counter the environmental impact of textile waste.

During the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, to take place on Tuesday, ministers will exchange views as a follow-up to the work carried out by the Commission following the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting that took place on 26 February 2024.

They will also exchange views on the short-term measures to streamline the implementation of Common Agricultural Police and reduce administrative burden, as well the proposed measures to strengthen farmers in the food production and distribution chain.

Also, the council will discuss the current situation on the EU’s agricultural markets, in particular following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The Ukrainian Minister for Agrarian Policy and Food, Mykola Solskyi, will address the Council before the ministers’ exchange of views.

Panayiotou will host a working dinner for the MED9 Agriculture Ministers with a view to exchange views and noted down converging views regarding the preservation of food security in the EU and safeguarding of satisfactory income for farmers.