With the aim of finding solutions for the drought observed in the Mediterranean countries and which plagues both the Governments and the citizens of the countries that are wet by this sea, Cyprus is hosting Med-9 which starts today and ends next Tuesday, 3 September.
It is of the utmost importance that the Summit on this issue will take place in Cyprus, which will host in this three-day period the Ministers of Agriculture of France, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Croatia, Malta and Italy , who will sit at the same table, in order to find ways to alleviate the problem.
Indeed, it will be the first coordinating working meeting of Ministers of Agriculture of the nine Mediterranean member states of EU and beyond the issue of the drought, the risks that lurk in it will be brought to the fore, such as the threat to the primary sector and more specifically the agricultural sector, but also the proposed solutions.
It is noted that at the meeting the presiding country will be Cyprus and by extension the Minister of Agriculture, Maria Panagiotou, while the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Mr. Janusz Wojciechowski will also be present.
After the work of the Synod, a joint statement of the Ministers will be issued, which will be submitted to the upcoming Council of Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries, while at the same time a joint press conference will be held.
The Synod will be preceded on Monday, September 2, by thematic visits of the Delegations of the member states to agricultural facilities for hydroponic production and to state infrastructures related to wider water management.
On the same day, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment will have a bilateral meeting with the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Janusz Wojciechowski, while the two officials will then meet with the representatives of the Agricultural Organizations.
In her statements to REPORTER, the Minister of Agriculture said that “Europe is facing the worst drought in at least 500 years, as reported by the European Drought Observatory (EDO). The Joint Research Center notes that drought conditions, prolonged high temperatures and ongoing heat waves have worsened the already critical situation, affecting soil moisture and vegetation growth.”
He even noted that “the biggest problem we are facing is the serious effects of the drought, not only on our farmers, but also on the uninterrupted supply of food, the agricultural economy of our country and the preservation of the social fabric in rural areas”.
As he explained, “through the Summit we are organizing and having ensured, among others, the strong presence of the Ministers of Agriculture of France, Spain, Italy and Greece, we are committed to a real collaboration in the fields of research, dissemination of information and the exchange of practices experiences in water management. It is very important for small Cyprus to be able to receive information from the results of the Mediterranean countries' research on water saving, such as the development of new crops with less water requirements”.
The goal is, as indicated by Ms. Panagiotou:
- A holistic approach to water, in the form of a new integrated European policy aimed at strengthening Mediterranean Europe's drought resilience which will take into account the specificities of the Mediterranean Member States . That is, we join our voice and call for the creation of a policy that is called to face the real consequences of the drought in the Mediterranean
- Simplification of existing policies to subsidize the installation of improved irrigation systems .
- creation of new tools to adapt agriculture to drought and to deal with its consequences, such as a new European system of direct compensation for affected farmers.
Finally he emphasized that “with these common positions of ours at the MED9 Summit, we aim to ensure a sustainable future for agriculture in Cyprus and throughout the Mediterranean”.
