Minister Anton Refalo And Parliamentary Secretary Alicia Bugeja Said Attend Brussels AGRIFISH Council Meeting

Anton Refalo, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, together with Alicia Bugeja Said, Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Rights, attended the AGRIFISH Council meeting in Brussels.

During the meeting, key discussions were held on the future of European agriculture and fisheries. Minister Refalo stressed that the future Common Agricultural Policy must be more flexible in order to reflect national realities, while encouraging innovation and the use of technology.

He underlined the need to simplify obligations and control systems, provide stronger support for generational renewal and farm succession, and ensure that support measures, including crisis measures, are more accessible and better adapted to Malta’s specific context.

The Council was particularly important for Malta this year following the annual ICCAT meeting, which resulted in a significant increase in the European Union’s bluefin tuna quota.

Malta argued that this increase should continue to be distributed according to the existing allocation system. As agreed in the early hours of Saturday, 13 December, Malta secured an increase in its bluefin tuna quota for 2026.

Minister Refalo noted that the results achieved in the fisheries sector reflect Malta’s strong and consistent negotiations to safeguard the interests of Maltese and Gozitan fishers, while maintaining a balance between sustainability and the livelihoods of coastal communities.

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