Germany, France and the Netherlands took advantage of the Agriculture Council in Luxembourg on Monday 9 October to alert the EU28 farm ministers to the need to ensure balanced finance for the future for EUMUCF, the EU Minor Uses Coordination Facility for phytosanitary products (EUMUCF).
EUMUCF was set up in 2015 to encourage the exchange of information about products that are not developed by industry because they do not generate enough profit, but are essential for specialist horticulture of fruit and vegetables, flowers and nursery plans. The three member states say it is crucial for the facility to have the resources needed to pursue its work, but its financing by the European Commission will end in 2018 and the Commission is not planning to renew it.
EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said the Commission has said from the beginning that its financial support could only be temporary and it was for all the member states to face their common responsibilities and ensure the coordination platform can continue its work. He suggested that the annual amount paid by each member state should be approximately proportional to the size of their population.