A coalition made up of all agricultural associations from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania sent an open letter to the presidents of the three EU institutions on Wednesday 4 December, calling for a “fair distribution” of direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Ahead of the European Council on 12 and 13 December, which will discuss the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027, the letter stresses that Baltic farmers have systematically received no more than 54-60% of the European average in direct payments, “in spite of their repeated calls for a fair calculation”.
Farmers in the Baltic countries receive the lowest direct payments in the EU, even though production costs are much higher than the EU average (129% for Estonia, 112% for Lithuania and 113% for Latvia).
The Baltic farmers are also worried about the growing emphasis on environmental requirements in the CAP, which might lead to an even heavier burden on the sector.
The European Council of February 2013 had agreed to ensure that “by 2020 at the latest, all Member States should reach the level of at least 196 euros per hectare at current prices”. This is not the case for Baltic farmers, whose level of direct payments in 2020 is approximately 176 euros (see EUROPE 12155/14).
To consult the letter: http://bit.ly/2Ll7KeA (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)