Brussels, 08/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 6 April, COPA President Padraig Walshe highlighted the catastrophic impact the EU's current trade liberalising talks, notably with Latin American countries and Morocco, could have on the EU farm sector, and he called for urgent action. Walshe said that a series of bilateral trade deals currently being negotiated by the Commission have the potential to seriously undermine EU producers incomes which are already only 50% of average EU incomes.
“The Commission plans on the future common agricultural policy (CAP) post-2013 is the other big issue confronting EU farmers and the EU agri-food sector at the moment. We are concerned about moves to further green the CAP which will make it more costly for farmers to produce. Measures to manage the market must also be retained and improved, especially in the wake of increasing market volatility”, Walshe said. (L.C./transl.rt)