Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has said that ongoing European support is needed for Ukraine.
The comments come ahead of October’s European Union Agricultural and Fisheries Council meeting in Luxembourg.
European agriculture ministers will discuss the market situation and the impact on the EU’s agri-food sector due to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Ukrainian Minister of Agriculture, Mykola Solskyi, will be given the opportunity to brief the council today (Monday, October 23).
Ukraine
Minister McConalogue also expressed Ireland’s continuing support for Ukraine.
“We must continue to ensure European wide solutions to support Ukraine, based on consultation and transparent dialogue with all [EU] member states, whilst addressing any impacts on European markets,” he said.
“The main challenge facing agricultural markets today is ongoing global instability and the uncertainty this causes.
“While we need immediate measures to address shocks, fundamentally we must continue to develop greater resilience and long-term sustainability,” McConalogue added.
Waste
Minister McConalogue also spoke in support of the proposal to amend the Waste Framework Directive.
“Ireland is broadly supportive of the overall objectives of the proposed revision of the directive.
“This proposal will support delivery of a number of Ireland’s circular economy commitments related to food waste,” he said.
Under Food Vision 2030, Ireland’s ten-year strategy for the agri-food sector, there is a target to half the amount of food waste in the country by 2030.
“Although primary production accounted for just 9% of Ireland’s food waste in 2020, it is important that all sectors do their part to reduce their food waste.
“We are all part of the food chain and every link has a role to play in this,” the minister said.