Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Jože Podgoršek attended the Farm to Fork international conference via video conference. The event, which is taking place on 14 and 15 October, is organised by the European Commission. The two-day conference will be devoted to the wider aspects of the strategy and sustainable food systems, which include all stakeholders in the food chain.

Minister Jože Podgoršek met by video conference with the representatives of Slovenian and EU environmental NGOs, such as BirdLife Slovenia (DOPPS), the Slovenian Foundation for Sustainable Development (Umanotera), BridLife international environmental organisation and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB). The discussion centred on how to include environmental protection in the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plans.

On the second day of the Luxembourg meeting, EU agriculture ministers focused on the Green Deal initiatives related to agriculture and forestry. They discussed the new EU Forest Strategy for 2030 and addressed the Fit for 55 legislative package.

EU fisheries ministers reached a political agreement in Luxembourg this morning on the total allowable catch for next year in the Baltic Sea. Already yesterday, the ministers exchanged opinions on consultations on fisheries with the United Kingdom and Norway for 2022.

On the first day of the two-day meeting in Luxembourg, EU agriculture and fisheries ministers held a discussion on challenges and progress in the preparation of CAP strategic plans and on the revision of EU marketing standards for agricultural products. Negotiations on the fixing of fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2022 have also started.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Jože Podgoršek has attended a ministerial meeting on the new EU forest strategy at the invitation of the Austrian minister responsible for forestry Elisabeth Köstinger. At the meeting, the ministers from forest rich member states discussed the future of forests at EU level.

Minister Jože Podgoršek has attended a meeting of chief veterinary officers of the Working Party on Animals and Veterinary Questions. The event is traditionally organised in the framework of the presidency of the Council of the EU. The highest representatives of veterinary services meet to work, exchange views and socialise.

Within the framework of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union Programme, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food co-organises an international event called “Smart Villages for a Green, Digital and Resilient Europe” together with the office of MEP Franc Bogovič. In the debate, which was attended also by the Minister Dr Jože Podgoršek, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner Dubravka Šuica, and the Director-General of the FAO, Qu Dongyu, the participants highlighted the importance of coherent and integrated rural development, which is an issue that extends way beyond just agriculture.

A declaration was signed in Brussels today, which declares 23 September as EU Organic Day. The declaration was signed by the Chair of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, the Slovenian Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, together with the European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski and Benoit Lutgen, Member of the European Parliament.

An informal meeting of EU hunting directors-general took place in Postojna on 14 and 15 September. Director-General of the Forestry and Hunting Directorate Robert Režonja attended the meeting on behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, while the European Commission was represented by Žilvinas Ilevičius from the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety. State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Anton Harej attended the opening of the meeting.

An informal meeting of directors-general and attachés for fisheries of EU member states was held yesterday in Portorož. Director-General of the Food and Fisheries Directorate Ana Le Marechal Kolar attended the meeting on behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Director-General of the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Charlina Vitcheva participated in the informal meeting on behalf of the European Commission.

An informal meeting of EU Forest Directors-General was held yesterday and today. State Secretary Aleš Irgolič attended the plenary session, which took place yesterday in Maribor. Pierre Bascou, Director at the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, and Humberto Delgado-Rosa, Director at the Directorate-General for Environment, attended the session as representatives of the European Commission. Today, foreign delegations went on a field trip to Radlje pri Dravi and its surrounding area.

EU agriculture ministers discussed the role of rural areas in society and rural challenges. They characterised rural areas as spaces where different activities coexist and complement one another. They advocated a new definition of the role of rural areas, which have to be supported in all their diversity.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food has issued an open call to citizens, legal persons or other organisations for identification of the candidates for the 2021 Golden Bee Award.

At the meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council, headed by Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, ministers discussed items on the agriculture agenda. They unanimously adopted the Council conclusions on the action plan for the development of organic agriculture, which stress the awareness of member states of the importance of organic farming in ensuring the sustainability of future European agriculture and food production. As regards the "End the Cage Age" European Citizens’ Initiative, the Council supported activities aimed at promoting animal welfare.

In the meetings of the Committees of the European Parliament, competent for purports within the scope of work of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, the Minister Jože Podgoršek presented the sectoral programme and the priority tasks of the Slovenian Presidency. These fall within the scope of “Resilience, recovery and strategic autonomy of the EU”, focusing on strategic significance of food security within the EU and sustainable agriculture (care for rural areas) and forestry. In fisheries, priority tasks arise from the significance of conservation of coastal communities and of tradition of sustainable fishing.

On behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council, the Minister Dr Jože Podgoršek participated today in a 2-day high level event, a video conference of the EU promotion policy stakeholders. The conference addresses the question of such policy as a possibility of transition to a more sustainable EU food system, of improving the healthy alimentary habits, and of fostering the competitiveness of this sector in the global markets. The organiser of the conference is the European Commission (General Directorate for Agriculture and Rural Development). In the opening part, the participants were addressed by the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Janusz Wojciechowski.

Minister Jože Podgoršek has attended the high-level video conference of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) entitled A new vision for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

Today, EU agriculture and fisheries ministers finished a two-day meeting where they focused on confirming the deal on the reform of the common agricultural policy. As part of fisheries items, the ministers discussed the Communication on the state of play of the common fisheries policy and consultation on the fishing opportunities for 2020. As part of phytosanitary items, the ministers adopted a Council Decision requesting the Commission to submit a study on biological control agents (macroorganisms) of plant pests. They also discussed setting a protection goal for honey bees. Minister Jože Podgoršek attended the meeting on behalf of Slovenia. The Portuguese ministers responsible for agriculture and fisheries symbolically handed over the Presidency of the AGRIFISH Council to Minister Podgoršek. Agriculture minister also held several bilateral meetings with ministers of other EU member states.

At today's meeting of the Council of the EU, EU ministers confirmed the compromise deal on the reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP). The European Parliament and the Council of the EU came to a political agreement on the deal last Friday. The deal covers all three legislative proposals (Strategic Plans Regulation, amendments to the Regulation on the common market organisation and Horizontal Regulation). Minister Jože Podgoršek has attended the meeting on behalf of Slovenia.