Agriculture Ministry State Secretary Tanja Strniša, who attended the meeting in Slovakia's Oponice on Wednesday, believes the declaration will give negotiations on the directive at the EU level a fresh impetus.

"Even if the directive introduces only the minimal common standards to prevent unfair trading practices, it is a success for the countries which are advocating a legal solution at EU level, including Slovenia, and sends out a clear political signal that such practices must be prevented," she was quoted by the ministry in a release.

Strniša also listed the measures Slovenia had adopted to fight unfair practices in the food supply chain, pointing to the changes to the agriculture law passed in February which improved oversight and fining.

The first meeting of farm ministers under Slovakia's Visegrad Group presidency also discussed changes to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the bioeconomy.

As for the EU replacing the expression "active farmer" with "genuine farmer", Strniša said it was important for CAP payments to go to those who actually farm.

Slovenia also promotes flexibility which would enable individual EU members to define "the genuine farmer" for themselves, taking into account their own legislation, goals and available data.

Strniša reiterated Slovenia's position against a 15% cut in rural development funds as planned by the EU as part of the ongoing reform, saying they should be raised to address structural problems.

What is more, rising national co-funding for the EU to fund rural development is not the right move to fill the budgetary gap, the state secretary said.

Strniša pointed to forestry and wood processing as Slovenia's priorities in encouraging the bioeconomy.

She believes more attention should be paid to adjusting to climate change and to making agriculture more productive and competitive, also by encouraging digitalisation.