Ministers of agriculture exchanged views among others on rural areas and sustainable forestry at their meeting in Brussels on 20th November.
Ministers unanimously approved the Council Conclusions on the long term vision of rural areas. Minister István Nagy stressed that agriculture plays an indisputable role in food security, employment and sustainability, and it is the foundation of Europe's natural and cultural heritage. The Minister also pointed out that rural development cannot be financed only from the CAP budget, the involvement of other EU development funds is equally important.
On EU forests, the European Commission recalled, that the new EU Framework for Forest Monitoring and Strategic Plans is expected to be published during the week. István Nagy said that the future of our forests requires a sustainable management.
Germany stressed the importance of cooperation with partner countries on the effective implementation of the EU new Deforestation Regulation. Minister István Nagy agreed with the importance of partnership, on the other hand Minister Nagy also considered it important, how EU producers and authorities will comply with the new regulation and how its implementation will affect the EU's competitiveness.
Ministers also discussed the different aspects of the proposal on new genomic techniques (NGT).
