In a statement, Brussels said that the ministers will address the recent simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), with the easing of environmental requirements.

The agenda also includes a discussion on administrative simplification and the strengthening of the position of farmers in the food supply chain.

At issue is, for example, the launch of an observatory on production costs, margins and commercial practices.

In 2023, the Portuguese Government launched the Price Observatory, which monitors the costs of a basket of 26 foods, from production to consumption.

The ministers will also discuss the situation of agricultural markets, in particular in the face of the war in Ukraine.

On 3 May, the report on the outlook for the European agricultural market revealed that the sector continues to be affected by events beyond the control of farmers, such as climate and geopolitical crises.

This Friday, the Minister of Agriculture, José Manuel Fernandes, signed the ordinance that will simplify the CAP and decided to extend the applications for the Single Application until 14 June, a deadline that continues to be contested by the sector due to the constraints in the platform for submitting applications.

"The simplification will make the compliance with cross-compliance measures -- good agricultural and environmental conditions -- more flexible, namely in the minimum soil cover, in crop rotation through diversification and in the end of the obligation to leave part of the agricultural area to non-productive areas, such as fallow land", the government explained in a statement.

The diploma in question also promotes simplification for farms with up to 10 hectares of declared agricultural area.

These farms are exempt from control and administrative sanctions under cross-compliance.

On the other hand, according to the same document, farms that are located in areas affected by adverse weather events that, "due to their severity and duration, prevent compliance with a standard or part of a standard of good agricultural and environmental conditions, will benefit from a temporary derogation due to weather conditions".

Read Also: Government moves forward with simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy (Portuguese version)