Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with the farmers of Thessaly at Megaro Maximos at noon on Friday (15/03/2024).
“As you can see, the meetings and the meetings on the issues concerning the primary sector, and especially the issues of Thessaly, are frequent and we wanted to follow up on our previous discussion to discuss a little more in detail and to hear the views of the institutional representatives of the primary sector”, emphasized Mr. Mitsotakis, addressing the representatives of the farmers.
“As you are gathered and gathered today at this table, I will not repeat in quotations what we said last time, I will only dwell on two points which I think are of interest and for the sake of timeliness: the legislative regulation regarding the commitment we had made to be able to offer low-cost electricity to our farmers and ranchers within a decade. It is an important intervention which, if nothing else, ensures predictability for a significant cost factor for many of our farmers and ranchers,” he underlined.
“The second thing that I want to emphasize and I think is also relevant: taking into account where we are in the wider electoral cycle, in three months from now, a little less than three months, we will have European elections and one of the important issues that we will be called to discuss in the European elections will be what will happen the next day with the Common Agricultural Policy”, pointed out the prime minister.
“Direct interventions”
As he said, “our opinion is very clear and formulated also at ministerial level: interventions in the Common Agricultural Policy and direct interventions are needed. Already, the ministry has submitted a series of considerations to the Council of Ministers regarding the reduction of bureaucracy and greater flexibility in terms of CAP tools.”
He noted, however, that “a more substantial mid- to long-term discussion will probably be needed, which will probably reach our level, regarding the speed with which we implement the green transition and what this means for the commitments and obligations of our farmers and the breeders the next day and the day following that”.
At the same time, he reiterated that the government attaches great importance to more general cooperation in the primary sector.
“You know very well that we have supported cooperative schemes through a number of tax and other incentives and we are also investing in technology and know-how and this qualitative transition of our primary sector to one that can really be competitive, innovative and export, so that the value that is created, especially with regard to our exports, can remain in the country and be reaped by all the links of the production and processing chain”, he said characteristically.
“I stop here, once more welcome and we are at your disposal to listen to your thoughts,” said the prime minister, concluding his opening remarks.
Who participated?
The meeting was attended on behalf of the government by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Staikouras, the Minister of Environment and Energy Theodoros Skylakakis, the Minister of Rural Development and Food Lefteris Avgenakis, the Minister of State Stavros Papastavrou, the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Christos Triandopoulos and the General Secretary of Rural Development and Food Giorgos Stratakos. ELGA president Andreas Lykourentzos, OPEKEPE president Kyriakos Babasidis and vice president Yiannis Kourdis also participated.
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