At the meeting of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety of the European Parliament (COMENVI), on January 22, the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Athanasios Tsaftaris, presented the programme of the Greek Presidency, which mainly includes the following:

- The Package "Healthier animals and plants and safer agri-food chain", which covers the sectors of plant and animal health, plant reproductive material, official controls in these fields and the relevant financial framework. The Minister stressed that although the EU applies the world's highest food safety standards, crises do occur in the food chain, forcing it to update its legislation and that the Greek Presidency will continue the examination of the proposals, while at the same time following, closely the work done in the European Parliament.

- Local farming and direct sales: with regard to this report, the Commission is expected to submit a relevant legislative proposal.

 -Labeling of origin for meat used as an ingredient: This Commission report is one of the priorities of the Greek Presidency in order to provide better information to the consumers.

-Other proposals expected to be submitted by the Commission: the Greek Presidency is ready to begin their technical examination, if they are submitted within a reasonable time. Those proposals include the legislation on veterinary medicinal products and medicated feed, the revision of hygiene package and the recast of the zootechnical legislation.

- Alignment with the Lisbon Treaty, as in the case of the regulation on spirit drinks.

The MEPs encouraged the Minister to meet the objectives set, regardless of the incoming European elections.