The 7th meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Strategic Plan of the CAP 2023-2027, chaired by the Secretary General for EU Resources and Infrastructure, Argyros Zerva, was successfully concluded in Arachova, Boeotia, as announced.

Representatives of the European Commission, the regions, ministries, services and other bodies involved in the implementation of the programme participated in the proceedings, while the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Margaritis Schinas, addressed the meeting online.

The following also addressed the meeting: the Regional Governor of Central Greece, Fanis Spanos, the Vice-Regional Governor of Boeotia, Georgios Dasiotis, the Vice-Regional Governor of the Rural Economy, Livestock and Fisheries, Konstantinos Apostolopoulos, the Mayor of Distomo-Arachova-Antikyra, Ioannis Stathas, the Director General of the General Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of Cyprus, Andreas Gregoriou.

Minister Margaritis Schinas, in his welcome address, stressed the great importance of the cooperation of all economic and social partners for the effective implementation of the financial instruments that support the primary sector and develop the rural areas of the country.

According to a press release, the MoAAT referred to the three immediate priorities of its portfolio:

– Negotiation of the new CAP and use of resources: securing and activating all available European and national resources for the comprehensive restructuring of the primary sector.

– Completing the transition of the Payments Agency to the PMO: smoothing and streamlining payments, in cooperation with the government and the PMO.

– All available and effective use of all available resources and all necessary measures to ensure the full use of all available resources and resources.

– Complete the transition of the Payments Agency to the PMO.

– Addressing epidemics: Provide adequate and satisfactory solutions for the livestock sector.

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Schinas underlined the aim to make Greece’s voice heard loudly in Brussels, where the crucial decisions for the future of Greek agriculture are taken.

In addition, he referred to the critical period we are going through, with initiatives for the full utilisation of the CAP Strategic Plan and the negotiation of the Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2028-2034.

Monitoring Committee Chairwoman Argyro Zerva, in her presentation, referred to the completion of the CIP, noting that it was successfully completed, exceeding its public expenditure by 102% with total payments of more than 7.9 billion euros.

As regards the CAP 2023-2027 CSF, he stressed the significant effort to activate the majority of interventions, amounting to more than €2 billion, and the need to accelerate payments in order to achieve the annual absorption targets.

In addition, he referred to the adoption of the 3rd amendment of the CAP 2023-2027 CSP and stressed that it was aimed at transferring legal commitments from the CIP to the CAP CSP in order to ensure the smooth continuation and financing of unfinished projects.

Finally, he referred to the national public dialogue launched under the CAP for the 2028-2034 programming period.

The representative of the European Commission, Filip Busz, referred to the close cooperation with the Managing Authority and pointed out the need to intensify efforts to achieve absorption targets and ensure the n+2 rule, while underlining the importance of information systems for timely payments and the documented link between payments and agricultural activity.

Finally, the members of the Monitoring Committee were informed through detailed presentations on:

– the progress of implementation and the 3rd amendment of the CAP 2023-2027 SA,

– the selection criteria for the actions concerning the protection of large mammal wildlife (bear and jackal), the prevention of damage to forests due to forest fires, natural disasters and the conservation of forest genetic resources and investments for the prevention of damage to plant capital on farms,

– the pilot implementation of support for the evaluation of CAP 2023-2027 support applications with the deployment of automation (Automation as a Service).