Brussels, 15/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Agriculture Council was unable to adopt the conclusions text - in fact, Italian Presidency conclusions which carry far less political weight - on Monday 15 December, because of a very sensitive paragraph on access to land.
The controversial paragraph allows member states to authorise interest-free loans for the purchase of land by young farmers who have the appropriate professional skills and who submit a business plan.
In an argument that mystified a number of ministers, the Austrian minister said he could not accept the conclusion text on young farmers until such time as the Council agrees to amend the fat content coefficient in the dairy sector (a measure equating to an increase in milk quotas). Denmark, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Sweden and the United Kingdom also voted against the text arguing that the access to land paragraph did not specify compliance with EU state aid rules.
The text notes that, in the EU, only 7.5% of the agricultural population is aged under 35, while 30% of farmers are aged more than 65.
The Council also adopted conclusions on the error rate for agricultural expenditure. (LC)