Many EU agriculture ministers protested on Monday 28 January in Brussels against the cut in 2021-2027 appropriations for rural development.
A document from the ministers of several countries (Slovenia, Finland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia) pleads in favour of maintaining the current level of funding, over the period 2021-2027, for the second pillar of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy), rural development.
These countries consider it “extremely worrying and contradictory” that, in the Commission's proposal on the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2021-2027, funding for rural development is being cut “drastically”.
The reduction (-15% in current prices and -26% in constant prices) “will jeopardise many rural development projects and the positive results achieved in the Member States”, the countries insist.
During the debate on the post-2020 CAP proposals, France, Germany, Spain, Luxembourg and Belgium also protested against the cuts in appropriations for the second pillar of the CAP.
Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan reiterated that the final decision on the MFF rests with EU leaders (unanimity required) and the European Parliament, and that it would be possible to fill part of the credit cuts through Member States' public finances and possible transfers (up to 15%) between the first (direct aid) and the second pillar of the CAP. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)