With determination and pure political stigma, the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Costas Tsiaras He sent a message of support to the primary sector during his placement at today’s meeting of his secretariat of agricultural bodies New Democracy made in Thessaloniki.
As he pointed out, the OPECEPE It is at the core of the agricultural economy, as it directs 200m euros each month to more 600,000 producers. “No one believes that the Region can live without OPEKEPE,” he said characteristically, stressing the organization’s decisive role in survival and rural development.
The minister spoke of a new era of transparency and reforms, with the aim of tackling the pathogens of the past and enhancing OPECEPE’s credibility. As he pointed out, significant changes have already been launched, from the action plan and the reinforcement of OPEKEPE with more than 100 new executives to meetings with European partners to ensure stability and continued funding.
“We have the historical responsibility to drive OPEKEPE to the next day. We have no other solution, “he said emphatically and made it clear that no more payment would be made without thorough control.
At the same time, he also referred to the issue of the Zoonoses and in particular of the blessing. As he noted, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food is in consultation with that of finances, in order to secure the additional resources necessary for the compensation of the affected farmers.
The political intention, as he underlined, is to support the farmer in practice and to be restored as long as possible, with the aim of … eradicating the disease.
He also pointed out the need for responsibility for all stakeholders to implement the measures, not only by the Ministry itself, but also by the regions and farmers themselves.
At the same time, Mr Tsiaras also referred to the overall strategy for the primary sector, which – as he said – faces a difficult time throughout Europe. The answer, according to him, is the creation of a durable model with real financial aid, projects for the proper management of irrigation water, cheap energy measures, low taxation and, above all, safeguarding European resources.
“With seriousness and responsibility we are trying to support the primary sector,” he said, insisting that the ND’s historical obligation is to stand by the producer and restore confidence.
His intervention, after all, also had a clear political dimension, as he highlighted the role of the New Democracy as the power that chooses the path of stability and progress, with respect to the resources of the Greeks and Europe. This attitude, as underlined inside the ND, is linked to the party’s attempt to form a stable and reliable framework for the primary sector, leaving behind practices that have previously created doubts.
The main issues raised by representatives of the rural world were the best promotion of the positive measures that the New Democracy has taken in the primary sector, and special mention was made to give the compensation faster.
Concerning the smallpox, the issue of replacement of the animal capital that was killed by zoonoses and, of course, the issue of OPECEPE, was discussed, where the need to be resolved as soon as possible, as the overall image of the government’s work in the primary sector was tarnished.
Responding to Mr Tsiaras, about OPEKEPE said that his affiliation to AADE ensures the continuation of the EU funding and in the end of the reform attempted by the only beneficial will be the real farmers, as he said.
At the same time, he noted that he has made it clear that his view is to link the payment of aid to the amount of production, a development which, as the EU appears, will be adopted for the next programming period.
Concerning ELGA, he stressed that the frost would be given in October and reminded that over € 1.6 billion has been paid to farmers in the last 5 years, when only half came from farmers’ insurance contributions.
For the implementation of Measure 23, he explained that the inability to justify 30% of the loss by the services of certain regions creates delays in the payment of 173 million euros budgeted as compensation.
It is emphasized that at the meeting, among others, the two Deputy Ministers of Rural Development and Food, Christos Kellas and Yiannis Andrianos, the three Secretaries Secretaries, Spyros Protopsaltis, Antonis Filippis and Argiro Zervas, the MP of Thessaloniki Tzanetakos, the coordinator of the Prime Minister’s Office in Thessaloniki, Elena Sokou, the Vice Presidents of OPEKEPE, Ioannis Kaimakamis and Christos Zalidis, the President of the IGE, Dionysis Kyriakopoulos, the Vice President Rural Development of the Region of Central Macedonia, George Kefalas and representatives of cooperative bodies.
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