Kostas Tsiaras, the Minister of Rural Development and Food, met with Oliver Varhelyi, the Commissioner for Animal Health and Welfare. In a post on “X,” Tsiaras, who attended the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels, stated: “I had a productive discussion with Commissioner Varhelyi regarding animal health and welfare. We stressed that all decisions must be supported by thorough scientific evidence and agreed on the need for improved monitoring, prevention, and rapid response measures.”
K. Tsiaras: Greece against mandatory co-financing of the CAP
During the Agriculture & Fisheries Council in Brussels, Tsiaras voiced Greece’s opposition to any mandatory national funding scenario for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2027. He asserted, “Such an approach would create significant disparities among member states and jeopardize the unity of the CAP,” adding that Greece advocates for a robust CAP with adequate funding, without re-nationalization, to sustain rural areas and ensure food security for everyone.
Tsiaras acknowledged the European Commission’s initiatives to support protein crops, improve sectoral interventions, and the Union’s school program that links healthy eating with small producer support as positive developments.
The Minister also stressed the importance of simplifying the Common Fisheries Policy to better meet the sector’s actual needs. He noted that Greece is already utilizing digital tools for licensing and electronic catch recording; however, he cautioned that satellite monitoring of very small vessels imposes excessive costs without significant benefits.
He urged that multiannual plans be based on reliable scientific data and tailored to the realities of small-scale coastal fishing, which he described as “the backbone of the Greek fleet and support for island communities.” Tsiaras also raised concerns about overfishing by non-EU fishermen and the protection of Greek marine areas.
In relation to African swine fever, he expressed Greece’s support for Estonia and other affected member states, underlining the severe impacts of the disease on pork production and food security. Drawing from Greece’s experience with sheep and goat pox outbreaks, he highlighted the challenges faced by producers and local communities.
On the release rule within the CAP Strategic Plans, Tsiaras remarked that rural development investments are long-term and need more time, especially as farmers deal with challenges from the Ukraine war, energy crises, and natural disasters. He supported a return to the release rule N+3 instead of N+2, stating that this change “will grant member states the necessary flexibility, optimize resource utilization, and improve the effectiveness of the CAP Strategic Plans.”
Lastly, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food announced that Tsiaras co-chaired a preparatory meeting of the European People’s Party (EPP) along with Finnish Minister Sari Essayah, attended by Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christopher Hansen. The discussions centered on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), with ministers reaffirming the pivotal role of CAP in ensuring food security, economic resilience, competitiveness, high standards, environmental sustainability, and rural social fabric protection. They emphasized that sufficient funding rooted in a strong European policy is vital for the EU’s strategic food production interests and highlighted the necessity of safeguarding farmers’ incomes, with direct payments being a fundamental stability factor in the sector, while also recognizing the urgent need to reduce administrative burdens on producers. (23/9/25)
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