Government wins derogation on Common Agriculture Policy

In his first participation in the EU's Agriculture Ministers Council, parliamentary secretary Roderick Galdes successfully negotiated a derogation for Malta as part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2014-2020 reform, the government said in a statement.

This derogation will allow Maltese and Gozitan farmers to benefit from assistance related to this reform.

The ministers' council meeting was held in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, and dealt with discussions related to proposals for the reform of the PAC which were tabled by the European Commission in 2011.

The reform involves changes in regulations regarding financial assistance that farmers receive from EU funds, as well as the regulations related to the Rural Development Programme for the period 2014-2020.

The government said that during the meetings, Galdes argued that Malta should retain the freedom to provide financial assistance to farmers who involved in farming activities and tomato cultivating so as to protect these sensitive industries.

"In this way, it is assured that they keep receiving a just income from their operations."

The government said that Malta also managed to convince the council of ministers to that Malta's status as a country where of all its territory is considered a disadvantaged zone is recognized, and also form part of the new regulations regarding rural development.