The summit of the Ministers of Agriculture of the 9 Mediterranean Member States of the European Union (MED9), which will be held in Cyprus, is an important milestone towards the creation of a sustainable agricultural sector, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Maria Panayiotou, said on Thursday, during a press conference at the Ministry, in Nicosia.

In addition, she underlined that the MED9 Summit is the first meeting of Ministers of Agriculture hosted in the presiding country to discuss issues related to the effects of drought on the primary production sector.

"Cyprus has the honour of presiding for 2024 over the informal cooperation in MED9, which includes the 9 Mediterranean member states of the European Union, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Malta, Portugal and Slovenia", Panayiotou said. 

From the outset, she went on to say, "as Agriculture Ministry we took advantage of the opportunity of this Presidency, organising meetings between the 9 Ministers of Agriculture in Brussels before the informal Councils of Ministers of Agriculture of the European Union." This, Panayiotou pointed out, "helped to further coordinate the common positions and increase the promotion of the common problems and requests of the 9 member states before the Council."

A typical example, added the Minister of Agriculture, "are the recent significant simplifications in the revision of the regulatory framework of the Common Agricultural Policy for the benefit of our farmers, but also the support of the request of Cyprus, as it was submitted to the Council of Ministers of Agriculture last April, in which we asked the European Commission to provide assistance in addressing the adverse conditions our farmers are facing due to the prolonged drought."

Panayiotou emphasised that the next important step is hosting the MED9 Agriculture Ministers' Summit in Cyprus from September 1 to 3, 2024, underlining that it is the first Agriculture Ministers' Summit hosted in the presiding country to discuss issues concerning the effects of drought on the primary production sector.

Specifically, as the Minister of Agriculture said, the work of the MED9 Summit will be held in Famagusta district. "It is an honour to have with us all 9 Ministers of Agriculture of the member states, but also a special honour to have with us at the meeting the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, who will participate and address the start of the proceedings of MED9", she noted, adding that the Commissioner will have one-on-one meetings with the Minister of Agriculture, where he will be informed about the problems facing the primary sector, so that the intention of solving them can be further promoted. 

Subsequently, Panayiotou pointed out that the request of the 9 member states participating in the summit is the drawing up of a common policy that protects the future of farmers and the agri-food sector, food security and biodiversity.

Therefore, she continued, this session is an important milestone in the direction of creating a sustainable agricultural sector, resilient and able to respond to future challenges, especially in the face of extreme weather and drought that is climate change, as well as an integrated and sustainable water management in the Mediterranean.

The Minister of Agriculture also said that in the context of the presence of her counterparts in Cyprus, thematic visits to agricultural facilities and state infrastructure related to the wider management of water have been organised, while the Ministers will also be informed about the special problems facing Cypriot agriculture.

"The organisation of this session focusing on the threat of drought to the primary sector is of the utmost importance for us here in Cyprus," indicated Panayiotou, noting that "we experience every day with our farmers, the effects of reduced rainfall and of increasing drought in both production and income."

"The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment promotes joint actions, proposes solutions and undertakes initiatives, so that in the framework of cooperation and solidarity the resources and tools (financial and other) offered to us by the European Union can be made the most of", the Minister pointed out. "What we want is to create the conditions and opportunities and support our farmers, ensuring a sustainable future for agriculture and by extension for all citizens of the European Union," she concluded.