During a plenary debate in Strasbourg on Thursday 10 July, a large number of MEPs protested against a possible 15% cut in the post-2027 common agricultural policy (CAP) budget.
The European Commission is due to adopt its proposals for the future CAP and the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) on 16 July (see EUROPE 13676/12).
Italy’s Herbert Dorfmann, speaking on behalf of the EPP group, said the signs regarding the proposal on the CAP and its funding until 2034 “are not very encouraging”. He criticised the Commission’s desire to turn agriculture, and also cohesion, into “a sort of stew in which you can no longer really distinguish what the ingredients are”. In his view, if the EU maintains CAP funding in absolute terms at the current level, the policy will have around a third fewer resources in real terms in 2035 than in 2020. “And if we cut the CAP budget by 15%, there will only be half the purchasing power left for this policy in 2020. In other words, we are systematically starving this policy”, deplored Mr Dorfmann.
For Céline Imart (EPP, French), agriculture is not “an adjustment line in an Excel table, and the budget allocated to it wouldn’t survive a 15-point cut”.
Dario Nardella (S&D, Italian) held up a sheet showing a loss of €217 billion for the CAP in the event CAP funding is cut by 15% over the period 2028-2034. A reduction of 15 or 20% “would exclude thousands of small farmers”, added Cristina Maestre (S&D, Spanish).
Carlo Fidanza (ECR, Italian) called for increased post-2027 CAP funding.
“It seems the Commission plans to drastically cut funding for our food security”, said a concerned Elsi Katainen (Renew Europe, Finnish). “Uncertainty is also fuelled by the threat of double standards linked to free trade, which is unacceptable”, she added. “We won’t tolerate a reduced budget or a dismantled CAP”, warned Irish MEP Barry Cowen, from the same group.
For Thomas Waitz (Greens/EFA, Austrian), “a reduction in the European agricultural budget, combined with trade agreements like Mercosur, or perhaps tomorrow a new agreement with Donald Trump to calm his tariff madness, would jeopardise our agriculture and our farmers”.
Luke Ming Flanagan (The Left, Irish) pointed out that European countries are talking about devoting 5% of their GDP to arms. “And we’re not even prepared to devote 0.5% of our GDP to food”, he lamented.
A number of MEPs called for a secure and sufficient budget for agriculture as well as separate and independent legislation for the CAP. They also opposed any renationalisation of this policy.
“Of course, I’m also hoping for a solid CAP budget so we can tackle the many challenges we face. That’s why I’m counting on your support, and I’ll be continuing my fight in this direction”, said Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen. “I believe that these treaty obligations - which guarantee food security, a fair income for farmers and affordable food for consumers - are more important than ever”, he added. “We need a coherent ‘toolbox’ for first and second pillar obligations”, he also argued.
MEPs have called for a fairer CAP. “There will always be winners and losers, and this is something we need to address together”, replied Mr Hansen, who will present a strategy for generational renewal in the autumn. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)