The countries of the Visegrád Group (V4), supported by Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Slovenia, believe European Union regulations must be developed in the interests of eliminating the dual quality of foods.
On Thursday in Visegrád following the first meeting of Visegrád Group agriculture ministers since Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the V4, Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas told the press that the meeting’s participants are calling for the earliest possible elimination of dual food quality on the European Union’s common market.
Mr. Fazekas pointed out that thanks to joint action on the part of the Visegrád countries during the past year, the President of the European Commission himself has conceded that the practice of producing products of differing qualities under the same brand name exists.
“And this is unacceptable; consumers from Hungary and the other Eastern and Central European countries do not deserve to have less meat in their food than people in Western Europe”, Mr. Fazekas said, quoting Jean-Claude Juncker.
The meeting’s participants signed two joint declarations; one relating to the EU guidelines on renewable energy, and another on a joint initiative aimed at the more successfully drawing down of agricultural research funding.
Mr. Fazekas said he believes the latter is necessary because according to current practices the countries of the V4 are not benefitting enough from the advantages provided by the European Research Area.
According to the V4 agriculture ministers, this practice must also be modified in view of the fact that together with Croatia the Visegrád Group represents 35 percent of the European Union’s agricultural population.
(MTI / Ministry of Agriculture Press Office)
