The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry defended in Lisbon the need for the Azores to have a strategic plan for the Common Agricultural Policy in the 2021/2027 period, as in the current Community framework, so as to better meet the specificities of regional agriculture and present the best solutions for the sector' upcoming challenges.
 
"The Azores are a region with political, legislative and administrative autonomy that deals its own specificities, and, in this context, it is important to continue addressing them in the next Community framework. Therefore, they must have their own strategic plan for the CAP 2021/2027," said João Ponte. He spoke at the end of a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Luís Capoulas Santos, and the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Food, Luís Medeiros Vieira.  
 
The Secretary for Agriculture was also accompanied by the Regional Director for Rural Development, Valter Braga. On the occasion, he stressed that the "soil and climate conditions, small size and the isolation of the islands make agricultural conditions more difficult as well as the balance between environmental sustainability and the harmonious development of rural areas. This challenge requires different approaches and different goals, which can only be met with differentiated policies and responses; therefore, the Regional Government defends the creation of regional strategic plans for the next CAP. "
 
The proposal for the main implementation rules of the CAP in the 2021/2027 period provides for a single strategic plan by Member State and with a single managing authority, which will cover the support granted by the European Union under EAFRD.
 
This plan will include the support for rural development and direct payments as well as sectoral interventions, including, for example, the VITIS programme.
 
"If this proposal becomes a reality, it would lead to the definition of indicators and targets that are not applicable in the Azores because the agricultural reality is different from the continental territory," said the Regional Secretary.
 
If greater responsibility is assigned to Member States in adapting CAP interventions to maximise their contribution to the European Union goals, it is appropriate that this adaptation should be carried out with regional programmes to be implemented in areas with specific characteristics, such as Outermost Regions.
 
According to the Regional Secretary, it is essential to guarantee a transition period of one to two years between the current and the next Community Support Framework, so as to ensure the aid to farmers as well as the financial resources for the continuous modernisation of the sector. These are essential factors to ensure profitability of farms and the development of local economies during the transition period.
 
João Ponte conveyed his satisfaction with the fact that the National Government hares the Regional Government's positions regarding the need for the Azores to have a strategic plan of their own, even during the transition period. These positions have been defended by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development with the European Commission.
 
"This was a very positive working meeting insofar as it addressed different matters and it was possible to perceive the agreement between both governments," the Regional Secretary said, adding that the good coordination and harmony between both governments benefits the development of agriculture.