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Brussels – European farmers do not identify with some elements of the EU long-term budget reform for the years 2028 – 2034 and came to express their dissatisfaction in Brussels on Tuesday. This was stated by the president of the Slovak Agricultural and Food Chamber (SPPK) Andrej Gajdoš after the protest, as reported by TASR.
Dozens of representatives of national agricultural associations from EU countries gathered near the European Commission (EC) for a protest organized by the largest agri-food association in the EU, Copa Cogeca, aimed at drawing attention to the reform of the financing of European agriculture. The protest was held under the slogan “House of Cards,” highlighting the fragility of the agri-sector.
“There are elements that we cannot identify with, such as the creation of super funds, meaning the unification of all EU funds into 28 large super funds, which would lead to the disappearance of separate euro funds that were created for farmers and rural development,” explained Gajdoš.
According to the EC proposal, member states should directly decide how much money from the super fund to allocate to individual policies. Large countries like France can allocate more to farmers than some smaller countries, which disadvantages their farmers. Gajdoš claims that if there is no strong independent budget at the EU level in the future, agriculture will collapse like a house of cards. He added that this could threaten the unity of European farmers.
He reiterated the words of several speakers from the podium that without farmers who are not satisfied, well-paid, and motivated to engage in their activities, agricultural production is at risk, which will reflect on food prices and food security in Europe.
The February proposal from the Euro Commission, which suggests some changes in the future multiannual financial framework, was not sufficiently consulted with farmers, according to him. EC President Ursula von der Leyen received an open letter through Copa Cogeca to deepen the dialogue with farmers, but no response has yet come.
“Real reform will be fundamental only if it is not conducted in a way that is about us without us. Dialogue is necessary so that we can express ourselves. No one has yet explained to us what the reform will bring for us to better manage the land, with animals, to be competitive, nor does it say what it will bring to consumers,” stated Gajdoš.
Secretary General of Copa Cogeca Elli Tsiforou clarified that the protest took place at the beginning of a two-day conference on the preparation of the MFF at the headquarters of the European Commission. The aim is to send a strong message from agricultural associations to the EU executive that the long-term budget reform, with a weakening of access to the agri-sector at the European level, threatens the very essence and autonomy of the common agricultural policy.
According to her, agricultural associations expressed concerns that it is still unknown how large the budget envelope for agriculture will be, emphasizing the need to maintain both pillars of the common agricultural policy – the first pillar focused on direct payments to farmers and the second pillar dedicated to rural development. “This is just the first of the protest events; we are preparing more in the coming weeks,” she said. (May 20)