On Monday 13 December, the European Commission once again indicated that it did not wish to trigger market measures in favour of European pigmeat producers.
At a press conference, the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, recalled that this sector is particular. He said it was “very difficult” to intervene in the pigmeat market. “You have to be very careful, the production cycles are very short”, he added. “Prices fluctuate. If we influences prices now, we risk making the crisis permanent or prolonging it”, he also argued.
“In January, if the situation does not improve, we can consider an intervention”, the Commissioner accepted. He noted that piglet prices had risen slightly. He called that there are possible measures through rural development programmes and State aid.
The Czech Republic, supported by several countries (Malta, Austria, Belgium, France, Poland, Romania, Portugal, etc.), has asked the Commission to take market measures in favour of this sector. Germany also referenced the very tight pigmeat market and asked the Commission to take “the necessary measures, if required”.
France has called for the immediate implementation of “market mechanisms to support the price of pork”.
Increase in fertiliser prices. Several ministers, led by Spain (supported by Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia, among others), have called on the Commission to act to counteract rising fertiliser prices.
Several countries have spoken of the risk of a global food crisis in a year’s time, as there is a direct correlation between fertiliser and productive capacity.
Several countries, including France, have asked for a temporary lifting of ad valorem tariffs to increase the market flexibility. Germany has called for an emergency plan to address the explosion in input prices.
“We need to make the EU less dependent on chemical fertilisers”, Janusz Wojciechowski told the press. “Within our area of responsibility, for example, we need to improve the efficiency of our current use of fertilisers and find new and more sustainable alternatives. These are objectives we all share and the reformed CAP will help us to achieve them”, the Commission said in a speech to Ministers. “I expect that we will discuss this again during the upcoming French Presidency of the EU Council”, Mr Wojciechowski added. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)