The European Parliament's Agriculture Committee on Monday 23 March called for a series of measures to support the agricultural sector hit by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Committee chair Norbert Lins (EPP, Germany) sent a letter to the Croatian EU Council Presidency ahead of the agriculture ministers' videoconference on 25 March (see EUROPE 12451/14), calling for a series of measures. A letter calling for the same actions was sent to the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski.
In particular, Mr Lins calls for maximum simplification of procedures on Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rules, while granting maximum flexibility to Member States and allowing "general derogations" in the implementation of CAP measures until 31 December 2020, "in order to protect European agriculture and rural areas".
The guidelines on border management measures are welcomed. However, the Commission is called on to go further, by not only allowing food to cross borders through the 'green corridors' but also by adding certain inputs (feed, fertilisers, plant protection products) to the list of essential goods for European consumers.
Seasonal labour. Several agricultural sectors, notably fruit and vegetables, but also viticulture, depend on seasonal labour. "The crucial access of these workers, mainly stemming from Central-Eastern Europe to farms in Western Europe should be facilitated by an agreement between countries of origin, transit and destination", the letter states.
Issuing a 'laissez-passer' granting seasonal workers the right to travel by special buses or trains, or even by air, would help keep the agricultural sectors running, Lins argues. At the same time, measures allowing the full protection of this seasonal labour against the epidemic must be implemented.
Agricultural markets. The Commission is asked to present a comprehensive strategy to support the most affected sectors, including through the activation of "emergency lines of credit" for farmers. Speculative effects on specific agri-food markets should also be countered, according to the European Parliament Agriculture Committee.
Finally, the Agriculture Committee suggests using aid for the 'most deprived persons' and mobilising special aid for private storage for products and sectors whose economic viability is threatened due to the closure of crucially important outlets, such as the catering sector. "The removal of these products from the market for a limited period of time but sufficiently long to overcome the pandemic, would significantly help to stabilise market prices", the letter states.
Consult the letter: https://bit.ly/39f9v6a (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)