increased interest for Greece.
The top priority for Greek agriculture is the specifi-
cation of decisions concerning the new Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP). These are decisions that
bring changes to subsidies as we currently know
them and give weight to the production of goods,
under specific quality standards.
Subsidies will be horizontal, albeit to a certain limit.
The remainder, which will make the difference for
each farmer’s income, will depend on quality.
Apart from the great challenge of ensuring the effi-
cient utilization of total subsidies under the new
CAP, as well as of funds intended for investment
(totalling more than 2.7 billion euros per year), the
agenda of the Greek presidency’s priorities for the
farming sector also includes open issues related to
fisheries and livestock farming policy, as well as
individual regulations concerning the dairy, and fruit
& vegetable sectors.
The sectors of agriculture and fisheries are the
main pillars of growth, employment and social
cohesion. Consequently, agriculture and fisheries
are in the epicentre of the Greek presidency’s prior-
ities (growth-jobs, migration-borders-mobility, inte-
gration of the euro zone, maritime policy).
Diversity, Quality and Extroversion
are the drivers of
prosperity, (sustainable) growth and job creation –
this is the motto of the Ministry of Rural
Development and Food, during the Greek presi-
dency. Apart from the files already reviewed by the
competent bodies of the Council, the MRDF will
also take certain initiatives, on the national and
European levels, towards this aim.
More specifically, the agricultural sector priorities
that will be put on the table by the Greek presi-
dency during the first half of 2014, as codified by
the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, are
as follows:
One of the top priorities of the presidency in
regard to agriculture and fisheries is the formal
closure of all pending issues related to the reform
of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the
Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) –as well as the
completion of all implementing acts pertaining to
reform policies– in order to ensure a smooth tran-
sition to the new system. In agriculture, the pres-
idency will place particular emphasis on advanc-
ing the preparation of new legislative proposals
and/or reports by the European Commission on
Trade with Greece
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