Takac Calls for Coordinated V4 Approach Regarding EU CAP Reform

Budapest/Bratislava, 30 June (TASR-correspondent) - The countries of the Visegrad Group (V4: Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia) met on Tuesday in Hungary's Balatonfured in an expanded format together with Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Slovenia, and at a press conference afterwards Slovak Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Richard Takac underlined the need for a coordinated approach to reforming the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. TASR learnt the news from the ministry's press department and its special correspondent in Budapest. "Our countries share a similar agricultural structure, comparable natural conditions and the same challenges. By acting together, we have a much stronger voice in the European Union when promoting the interests of our farmers, food producers and foresters," Takac said. The meeting, hosted by Hungarian Minister of Agriculture and Food Szabolcs Bona, adopted two joint declarations. The first, signed by the agriculture ministers of the V4 member states together with representatives of Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, focuses on more effective management of crisis situations in agriculture. The second joint declaration by the V4 countries, Croatia and Romania supports closer cooperation in the bioeconomy and joint solutions to extreme weather events, particularly drought. mf