EU agriculture ministers are meeting in Bratislava on Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 September to discuss, inter alia, what can be done to strengthen the position of farmers in the food supply chain (see EUROPE 11620).
On the sidelines of the informal Agriculture Council in the Slovak capital, European Commissioner Phil Hogan told a small group of journalists on Monday, in the course of a visit to farms, that the Commission would bring forward a proposal on the food supply chain after publication, at the end of November or start of December, of the report from the agricultural markets task force.
The Slovak Presidency of the Council and the Commission would like the Agriculture Council to discuss this issue in December. The Council could adopt conclusions on enhancing the farmers’ position on the food supply chain.
Asked if he was considering EU legislation, Hogan replied that the task force report had first to be received. The Austrian and Spanish ministers, speaking to the press, indicated their wish for strong EU-wide legislation to counter unfair trade practices.
The Slovak Presidency highlighted the strong European Parliament position for legislation to address such practices. “It’s a good signal”, said the Slovak minister. In Hogan’s view, farmers should be given greater opportunity to be real players in the supply chain, able to influence prices. What is needed is more fairness in the supply chain, the commissioner stated.
Copa-Cogeca, the EU farming and agri-cooperative organisations, are calling for European legislation to tackle unfair practices within the food chain and to guarantee fair incomes for farmers.
Stabilising incomes. Crisis management and income stabilisation tools are available under the second pillar – rural development – of the common agricultural policy (CAP). They are, however, little used by the member states.
Hogan said that only €345 million had been allocated by the member states to crisis management measures (compared with €99 billion in total EU funding for rural development schemes for the period from 2014 to 2020). By means of an omnibus regulation expected to be presented very shortly, the Commission will attempt reduce the administrative burden and so make these tools (mutual funds, insurance, income stabilisation tool) more attractive.
In addition, the Commission, with the help of the European Investment Bank, wants to encourage use of financial instruments in three areas: young people entering farming, reform of the dairy sector and the bio-economy. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)