Ministers on the need to upgrade joint mechanisms for sustainable agricultural risk management

SLOVENIA, October 6 - As part of the programme of Slovenia's presidency of the group of nine EU Mediterranean Member States – the MED9 Group (Cyprus, France, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain), a meeting of ministers of agriculture was held at the invitation of Mateja Čalušić, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food.

The purpose of the meeting, held between 5 and 7 October 2025 in Portorož, is to strengthen cooperation between MED9 countries in the field of agriculture with an emphasis on sustainable agricultural risk management. This is a follow-up to the working meeting of MED9 ministers of agriculture that took place on the sidelines of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in June. The discussion demonstrated a joint commitment to strengthening sustainable agricultural risk management and the need for coordinated measures at the EU level, the promotion of innovation, intergovernmental cooperation and the development of effective mechanisms to increase the resilience of Mediterranean agriculture to climate and other challenges.

On Monday, 6 October 2025, MED9 ministers and high representatives, alongside Vice-President of the European Investment Bank Gelsomina Vigliotti, the European Commission’s Deputy Director-General at the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development Mihail Dumitru, and Head of the Climate Risk and Resilience Unit at the European Environment Agency Dr Blaž Kurnik, discussed sustainable risk management in agriculture, including as regards proposals for the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy. Discussions focused mostly on the effectiveness of existing risk management instruments as well as insurance challenges in agriculture.

Minister Mateja Čalušić said: As our region is one of the global hotspots for climate change, agriculture is facing increasing risks: extreme weather events – droughts, water shortages, heatwaves, floods and fires – as well as the spread of new pests and diseases. This is coupled with market imbalances and geopolitical uncertainty. These factors pose a serious threat to food security, biodiversity and rural vitality, while reducing farmers’ income and discouraging younger generations from farming.

The conference participants are united in the assessment that the existing European and national systems are still not ready to take on these challenges. Immediate, coordinated and long-term measures are required, including innovative solutions, strategic planning and proactive risk management.

We welcome efforts at the EU level aimed at strengthening agricultural risk management – including flexible crisis mechanisms, support for the transition to more resilient production systems and improved policy monitoring. Furthermore, a supplementary, coordinated and robust post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy is required.

The ministers adopted a joint declaration containing the key guidelines and agreements reached between MED9 countries aimed at strengthening the resilience and sustainable development of agriculture in the Mediterranean region. The declaration emphasises the need for coordinated measures, innovative solutions and strategic planning to manage risks associated with climate change. It also underlines the commitment to strengthening cooperation at the EU level and promoting climate-smart practices that will contribute to ensuring food security, the sustainable use of water resources, rural vitality and the region’s competitiveness. The ministers also urged for the reinforcement of European risk management mechanisms, greater coherence across EU policies, and clearer and more flexible rules on financing. A special emphasis was placed on innovative financial instruments, the sharing of good practices and the vision of the Mediterranean as the leading region in sustainable agricultural risk management.

Minister Mateja Čalušić concluded: MED9 countries have reaffirmed their commitment to joint action, innovation and climate-smart practices in agriculture. Our vision is to make the Mediterranean the leading region in sustainable and resilient agriculture that will ensure food and water security, rural vitality and the region’s competitiveness. This will allow us to build a stronger, more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector, prepared to take on the challenges of the future. These messages have been summarised in the adopted joint declaration that will be presented at the next meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council.