REPORT ON MALTESE AGRICULTURE

With reference to the report in The Times of yesterday 3^rd November, 2001, concerning the study on Maltese agriculture in the context of Malta’s accession to the EU prepared by CIHEAM-IAM Bari for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Department of Information would like to make the following points:

1. This report was published by Government on the 20^th June 2001.
2. As reported in The Times, the study found that the actual path of Maltese agriculture, based on a fairly high level of protection from foreign competition, is unsustainable, and that the removal of levies is a long term requirement independently from accession to the EU.
3. Government is currently using the findings of this study, and others that it has commissioned, in order to finalise its negotiating position on agriculture and to ensure that Maltese agriculture may meet the challenge of modernisation and prosper in the years ahead.