EPP Agriculture Ministers met today in Brussels, chaired by the Minister of Agriculture of Croatia Marija VUČKOVIĆ, to prepare the upcoming Agriculture and Fisheries Council. The Ministers discussed thoroughly on the ongoing crisis situation in the agricultural sector, vividly demonstrated by farmers protests in various EU countries during the last few weeks. They expressed the need for rapid and structural solutions to alleviate the burden on a sector which is critical for the EU’s economy and social coherence ahead of the European elections. The Ministers agreed that necessary measures should be urgently implemented in order to ensure:
  • More flexible conditionality, in particular in relation to Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC) 1, 6, 7 and 8;
  • Full exemption of farmers subject to conditionality controls from cross-compliance controls;
  • Full exemption of small farmers (up to 10 hectares) from controls of compliance with conditionality requirements;
  • Easing of sanctions and penalties;
  • Better position of farmers in the food supply chain;
  • All legal proposals with an effect on the agriculture sector must be accompanied with adequate and comprehensive impact assessment;
The participants also exchanged views on other issues such as the need to address the impact of adverse climate conditions on agriculture and on the need to re-evaluate certain EU regulations concerning the populations of large carnivores.


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Alexandra Henman

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Angelos Athanasopoulos

National and Regional Press Director

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