Agriculture Ministers reach a Political Agreement on Cross-Compliance

At the first meeting of the EU Council under Slovenia's Presidency, chaired by Minister Iztok Jarc, the agriculture ministers reached a political agreement on changes in cross-compliance. 'I am very satisfied with today's meeting since it involved a constructive and intensive debate. At the end, a compromise proposal of the Presidency was adopted and thereby a political agreement on changes in cross-compliance implementation,' said Minister Jarc after the meeting.

Minister Jarc pointed out that 'the political agreement reached is important from the point of view of attaining the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy, since the agreed changes can contribute to more successful and more simplified implementation of the requirements of cross-compliance in practice – for farmers as well as administration'.

'Speaking of cross-compliance, we must be aware that we are talking about one of the most important roles of the European agricultural model: the protection of the environment and the health of people, animals and plants…'