Parliament to tackle agricultural concerns on Friday, says PM
Following the conclusion of the Special European Council in Brussels on Thursday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis vowed that the demands of striking farmers in Greece would be addressed in the Greek Parliament on Friday.
“It is a complex issue involving many countries,” Mitsotakis said, stressing that concerns about inflation and rising costs are “being heard across the European Union.”
Mitsotakis welcomed EU initiatives for modifications to the set-aside land scheme, which was introduced by the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1988 to reduce surplus agricultural production.
“From the very first moment, Greece was in favor of the proposal presented by the European Commission in order to put a pause to the set-aside land scheme, at European level. If we move in this direction, additional land can be released for cultivation so that our farmers can have additional income both from the sale of products and from coupled payments,” he said.
The Greek prime minister added that the release of over 1 million hectares of land for agriculture will “yield additional income to farmers.”
Furthermore, he highlighted talks at the Commission level regarding the green transition and potential improvements to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
“We are initiating discussions on the structural challenges of agricultural policy in Europe,” he said.
“Tomorrow, I will address the Parliament and elaborate on our plans to further strengthen the primary sector,” the prime minister added.
