The Basque regional minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Amaia Barredo, will attend the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of the European Union in Luxemburg on 26 and 27 October 2026. The agenda includes a partial negotiating position on the Common Agricultural Policy from 2028, agricultural trade dossiers, the setting of fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2027, as well as coordination of the EU position for the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Vilamoura from 16 to 23 November 2026.
According to the Basque Government, Barredo wants to bring the perspective of the Autonomous Communities into the debate. She is calling for a strong, stable and adequately funded Common Agricultural Policy, which takes regional diversity into account. The regional government identifies simplified rules, fairer and better-targeted direct payments, and measures to encourage generational renewal in farming as priorities. A joint declaration by the Autonomous Communities, prepared in advance, did not go ahead for lack of support from some regions; nevertheless, in substance it reaffirms their willingness to work together on shaping the CAP for 2028–2034.
According to Council documents, the CAP reforms proposed by the European Commission are also intended to strengthen risk management and resilience in the sector, and to create a more balanced relationship between binding EU requirements and incentives for climate, environmental and animal welfare measures. The Council is seeking a partial negotiating position, as financial and cross-cutting issues are being addressed in parallel as part of negotiations on the 2028–2034 multiannual financial framework.
In fisheries policy, the Council wants to prepare political agreements for the Baltic Sea area. The total allowable catches and national quota allocations for 2027 are crucial for several commercially important stocks. In addition, ministries and participating regional representatives are coordinating the European position for ICCAT in Vilamoura, where decisions on fishing rights and management requirements for Atlantic tuna are expected in November.
In the second half of 2026, Galicia is coordinating fisheries policy contributions among Spain’s regions, while the Basque Country is leading work on agricultural and rural development policy. The dates and priorities of the Luxembourg meeting were announced by the Council of the European Union and confirmed by the Basque Government. Barredo’s positions are presented as the regional government’s aims; naturally, no independent Council decisions have yet been made ahead of the meeting.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).