Brussels, 07/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - In a press release published on Friday 3 December, Copa, the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations, and Cogeca, the General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives, express their opposition to the European Commission proposal to cut agriculture spending by nearly 3% in 2011.
The agricultural organisations call on political leaders to “increase agriculture funds when they agree the 2011 EU budget”.
Copa-Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said that “it is totally unacceptable to put further pressure on EU farmers' livelihoods. Especially since there is a sizeable financial margin of €1.68 billion in the new draft budget proposal for agriculture, compared to the financial ceiling fixed in the multiannual financial framework.” He pointed out that EU farmers' incomes plummeted by nearly 12% last year and that agriculture is facing a number of challenges: increasing trade liberalisation, climate change, extreme price volatility and rising world food demand. (L.C./transl.rt)