Luxembourg: The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Maria Panayiotou, is actively participating in the European Union’s Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers. This significant meeting, noted as the final one under the Polish Presidency, is being held on 23 and 24 June 2025 in Luxembourg.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Council’s agenda focuses on pivotal issues such as trade in agricultural products. Discussions among the Ministers will revolve around the European Commission’s trade agreements with third countries and the simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy. The aim is to reduce the excessive and time-consuming controls currently imposed on farmers, thereby increasing policy flexibility for member states.
Furthermore, the Council is poised to adopt a general approach regarding a proposed Regulation for establishing a European monitoring framework aimed at fostering resilient European forests. Discussions will also cover the implementation of the new Fisheries Control Regulation.
On the periphery of the Council proceedings, Minister Panayiotou will attend a working dinner with the MED9 Agriculture Ministers. This gathering, under the Slovenian EU Presidency for 2025, will focus on risk management in agriculture. Efforts will be directed toward forming a unified stance ahead of the MED9 Ministerial Meeting scheduled in Slovenia in October.
The Minister is also set to conduct bilateral meetings with her counterparts in preparation for the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, which is slated for the first half of 2026, the press release concluded.