Portugal and Spain will request urgent measures to face the drought from the European Commission

The Minister of Agriculture and Food, Maria do Céu Antunes, said that "the impact of the effects of climate change, the feasibility and sustainability of activities, investing in production and knowledge transfer and maintaining food security in a context as challenging as the one we have today are some of the matters which I can offer as an example to illustrate the reach and strategic nature of the cooperation between our two countries, united by so much more than a common border".

Maria do Céu Antunes met with the Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luís Planas, to prepare the upcoming Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

"Besides the pleasure of welcoming representatives from a country that is so close to as in so many aspects beyond geography, these meetings are of the utmost importance, especially when preparing the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will be taken on by Spain", she added.

In addition to presenting the priorities set by Spain for the Presidency, common issues to both countries were discussed, focusing on the drought in Europe. 

The Spanish Minister claimed "this cooperation in one single voice in the upcoming AGRIFISH council is very important given the damage faced by the Iberian Peninsula. We share the same territory and face similar problems, so we will ask the European Commission to help our farmers together".

On the table was the intervention both countries are preparing together with France and Italy, to be presented to the European Commission at the upcoming AGRIFISH council on 30 May. "In this way, we intend to reinforce the importance of allowing the use of the instruments envisaged in the Common Agricultural Policy", said the cabinet of the Minister of Agriculture and Food.

The following also attended the meeting: The Portuguese Secretaries of State for Agriculture and for Fisheries, Gonçalo Rodrigues and Teresa Coelho, the Spanish Secretary General for Agriculture and Food, Fernando Miranda Sotillos, the Spanish Ambassador to Portugal, Marta Betanzos Roig, as well as representatives from several bodies from both countries charged with the issues under discussion.