The Council meeting was also an opportunity for discussion in a smaller group. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Minister also met with the Heads of the Ministries of Agriculture of the Visegrad Group and the European People’s Party. Minister Stefan Krajewski also talked with the new Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature of the Netherlands.

Fertiliser market and costs of production

One of the major topics of the talks was the situation on the fertiliser market and the growing costs of agricultural production. The European Commission has presented an action plan to increase the production of fertilisers in the EU and reduce dependence on imports.

Poland pointed out that the geopolitical situation, high prices of energy and the instability of the fertiliser market increasingly affected the profitability of agricultural production and food security throughout the European Union.

– Ensuring resistance to price shocks should entail the stabilisation of income from agricultural production as well as the stabilisation and shortening of supply chains – stressed Minister Stefan Krajewski.

The Minister also highlighted the importance of food security and stable conditions of agricultural production in the EU.

Effects of drought and spring frost

The Ministers of Agriculture of the Member States also talked about the effects of drought, problems with overwintering of plants and spring frost on agricultural production.

Poland supported measures for more effective support mechanisms for farms affected by weather anomalies.

– Currently, in the majority of Poland there is a simultaneous effect of atmospheric drought and soil drought. Spring frost also caused very large damage in fruit crops and on rapeseed plantations – said Minister Stefan Krajewski.

During the talks, the Member States pointed out that farmers incurred high costs of production while, at the same time, in many regions of Europe, they expected lower yields than in previous years.

Trade agreements and the competitiveness of EU agriculture

Trade agreements being negotiated by the European Union were also one of the most important topics of the talks.

Again, Poland appealed for preparing a full analysis of the effects of those agreements on the European agricultural market and the situation of producers in the Member States.

– In view of the accelerating accumulation of tariff preferences, we need a full analysis of their effect on the agricultural market in the European Union and the Member States – stressed Minister Stefan Krajewski.

Minister Krajewski also pointed to the absence of equal production standards between EU and non-EU producers, particularly in the field of plant protection products, animal welfare and environmental requirements.

He also reiterated Poland’s position on the EU-Mercosur trade agreement.

– Poland has filed a complaint regarding the EU-Mercosur agreement as the only Member State. From the beginning, we have indicated the threats that this agreement could create for European agriculture – said the Minister.

Meetings of the V4 countries and bilateral talks

During the meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture of the Visegrad Group countries, the talks concerned primarily the future of the CAP, food security and cooperation between the countries of the region.

During the meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture of the European People’s Party, the discussion focused on the competitiveness of European agriculture and simplifications in the Common Agricultural Policy.

Bilateral talks with the Minister of Agriculture of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Jaimi van Essen concerned, among others, the competitiveness of European agriculture, administrative simplifications for farms and the situation on the fertiliser market.