AgriMin Oros, Ambassador Ramis discuss Romania's position on future Common Agricultural Policy

Romania's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Adrian Oros on Tuesday welcomed the French Ambassador in Bucharest Michele Ramis to discuss the positions of France and Romania on the European Union's future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and updating bilateral co-operation under the strategic partnership between the two countries, with special attention attached to animal breeding and emphasis on the bovine and sheep sectors.

According to a press statement released by the Agriculture Ministry, in their conversations, the two officials brought up measures for environment and climate, family farms, stimulating joint farms, agricultural education and research, convergence of direct payments, inviting Romania to join the initiative launched by France called "4 : 1000 - Soils for Food Security and Climate" and the stage in this initiative Romania is finding itself in.

Oros pointed out that under Romania's future National Strategic Programme, Pillar II (rural development) funds will be directed toward the consolidation of family farms and to the conversion of subsistence farms into commercial farms.

"We have initiated a process of meetings with countries in South-East Europe with specificity similar to Romania's in order to have a common approach on this subject under the future Common Agricultural Policy. As far as capping under the policy is concerned, Romania believes each member state has to set its own level depending on the particularities encountered," said Oros.

He added that he wants to speed up the convergence process so as to reduce the gaps between the Romanian farmers and those from other member states in terms of direct payments.

Oros mentioned that the French model of family farms is an inspiration for Romania, as the problem of keeping people in countryside and attracting young people to the countryside is being treated with the utmost seriousness amidst the aging population working in agriculture.