Removing levies

So far, Malta had protected its agricultural sector through a policy based on keeping out competition, particularly in the form of border levies on imported goods. This protected local agriculture by making it difficult for imported products to compete and at times, even to penetrate the market. In practice, however, the sector has still been facing decline even in the farming population. Yet, Malta cannot afford to lose its agricultural sector. Not just because of the welfare of the farming community, but also because agriculture has other roles in Malta, including the maintenance and enhancement of Malta's fragile rural landscape. This is often referred to as the "multi-functional role" of agriculture.

Malta's negotiating position was therefore based on the need to secure an acceptable level of income for farmers and at the same time, to continue promoting agriculture's multi-functional role.