Nicosia, Cyprus. Boosting preventive measures and overall preparedness is a central priority of the common agricultural policy (CAP), Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou said on Monday at an informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Nicosia. Officials cited growing risks from climate change, animal diseases, market disruptions and geopolitical instability.
Panayiotou calls for coordinated EU response
Panayiotou said the European agri-food sector is facing an increasingly complex and intensifying risk environment linked to the climate crisis, animal diseases, market disruptions and geopolitical instability. She warned these challenges directly affect agricultural income, as well as the resilience of rural areas and food security in the European Union, and stressed the need for a coordinated European response.
Panayiotou said Europe must be autonomous and open to the world, adding that food security is a key element in ensuring this. She said the discussion would help shape the crisis management tools she wants the new Common Agricultural Policy to include.
Commissioner cites Middle East impact and disease pressures
European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christoph Hansen highlighted pressure on the sector stemming from developments in the Middle East, which he said have driven up fertiliser and fuel prices.
Hansen said the EU is also facing a wide range of animal diseases, including in Cyprus. He said the situation makes it clear that efforts must be intensified in biosecurity and risk management, adding that climate change is here to stay and its impacts are becoming increasingly severe.
Greece and France stress resilience and prevention
Greece’s Minister of Rural Development and Food Margaritis Schinas said resilience strategies and the future of the CAP would be central to discussions. He said talks with Panayiotou would also focus on strengthening bilateral coordination in tackling animal diseases affecting both Cyprus and Greece.
France’s Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard pointed to the growing risks posed by climate change, saying many EU countries have already experienced extreme weather events. She said prevention efforts must be stepped up to build greater resilience to these climate phenomena.
What measures do you think the next CAP should prioritise to strengthen prevention and crisis preparedness?
