Agriculture ministers met in Prague from 14th to 16th September to discuss about the importance of an EU coordinated approach to maximise sustainable increases in agricultural production, accelerate the use of modern techniques in agriculture and supporting commodity exports in Ukraine.
The meeting was chaired by Czech Agriculture Minister Zdeněk Nekula and attended by Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, representatives of NGOs, the European Parliament, academics and the Ministers of Agriculture of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. The meeting focused on the significant pressures facing the agriculture and agri-food sectors in the wake of the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including the increase on food supply, commodities and prices.
Ministers agreed about the need for a harmonised approach to ensure food security and distribution by taking into account the use of modern plant breeding methods, and new trends which could help the EU in reducing the use of pesticides and fertilisers, in water management or in breeding new varieties more resistant to extreme weather fluctuations and new plant pests and diseases.
Moreover, agriculture ministers agreed about the urgency of an EU action plan which would foster commodity export in Ukraine and ensure food security and the abolition of customs duties on imports of Ukrainian products into the EU to facilitate the movement of goods to African countries.
