The counselor of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture, and Fisheries of the Basque Government, Amaia Barredo, will participate on October 26 and 27 in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of the European Union 'Agrifish', which will take place in Luxembourg. In this meeting, the ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries of the member states and the regional authorities "will seek to reach an agreement on the partial negotiation position regarding the Common Agricultural Policy-CAP regulation starting from 2027."
As indicated by the Basque Government, "the objective is to bring the voice of the Autonomous Communities to reaffirm a commitment to a strong, stable, sufficiently funded, genuinely European Common Agricultural Policy, respectful of territorial diversity and aimed at guaranteeing the future of agriculture, livestock, and rural territories."
The department led by Barredo has explained that, in the declaration that has been worked on and that has not moved forward due to the lack of support from some communities, a "shared willingness for cooperation and defense of common interests is included, without prejudice to the competencies, singularities, and specific positions that legitimately correspond to each autonomous community," in addition to their commitment to "continue working together to contribute to the definition of the CAP 2028-2034."
During the second half of 2026, Galicia holds the representation of all autonomous communities in fishing matters, while Euskadi assumes that role in areas related to agriculture, livestock, and rural development.
The proposal from the European Commission aims for "a simpler and more flexible framework, to ensure the income of the farming community, to make subsidies fairer and better targeted, and to strengthen generational renewal." It also incorporates actions aimed at strengthening risk management and the sector's response capacity, while promoting a balance between the EU's regulatory obligations and incentives in climate, environmental, and animal welfare matters.
However, the position set in Luxembourg will only be partial, as financial and horizontal issues related to the general discussions on the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) of the European Union for the period 2028-2034 will be excluded.
The ministers will also address agricultural issues linked to international trade, a common matter on the agenda of the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries and which was last discussed in July.
In the fishing chapter, the EU Fisheries Council will study different catch possibilities in the Baltic Sea in order to reach a political agreement for 2027 that sets the total allowable catches (TAC) and the quotas by member state for the main commercial fish stocks in that area.
In addition, the Fisheries ministers will discuss the position that the EU will defend at the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, scheduled in Vilamoura (Portugal) from November 16 to 23.