FAO Brussels Director meets agrifood team of incoming Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

The collaboration between FAO and the incoming Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, set to start on 1 January 2023, was the focus of a meeting between FAO Brussels Director Raschad Al-Khafaji, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation of Sweden Marija Milivojevic and Deputy Permanent Representative of Sweden to FAO Pernilla Ivansson.

During the discussions, Al-Khafaji highlighted that FAO’s cooperation with the Council Presidencies has a three-way approach:

-    FAO contributing to Council Working Parties;
-    Co-organizing activities and providing experts for each other’s events; and
-    Communication and outreach efforts.

FAO has been working closely with the various Presidencies of the Council of the European Union. The collaboration has included briefings to Working Parties such as the AGRIFAO, CODEV-PI, COHAFA and ACP and other thematic/regional Working Parties, as well as joint events and outreach. Some recent examples of jointly organized events include two high-level dialogues with Portugal, one on territorial food systems and another on family farming, as well as a ministerial-level event with France on halting deforestation.

FAO Brussels is working closely with the current Presidency, held by the Czech Republic, and has briefed the Working Party on Forestry and the Working Party on Genetic Resources and Innovation in Agriculture and will contributed to the Commodities Working Party later this year. Together with the Czech Presidency, FAO will be celebrating World Food Day in Brussels, on 14 October.

You can register to virtually attend the World Food Day celebration here.