As well as criticising the reduction in the budget allocated to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2028-2034, on Monday 22 September in Brussels, the European Agriculture Ministers protested above all against the new budget architecture proposed by the European Commission (see EUROPE 13711/4).
Almost all the European Agriculture Ministers have called for a two-pillar CAP to be maintained, with a financial envelope equivalent to the current one, with some countries, such as Portugal, even asking for inflation to be taken into account. The Commission is proposing a minimum of €300 billion to support farmers (area-based direct payments and instruments such as investments or agri-environmental measures).
Francesco Lollobrigida, the Italian Minister, felt that with the proposal submitted by the Commission, “we have to take into account the fact that we are throwing away 60 years of CAP, which is simply disappearing”. In his view, the CAP cannot be part of a single fund. “We therefore cannot accept a reduction in investment in the CAP sector”, he said.
France has expressed its “incomprehension” at the amounts allocated to the CAP in the European budget and at the proposal for a national CAP envelope to be allocated to it. For the French Minister, Annie Genevard, this proposal amounts to “a revolution, not an evolution”.
Italy and other countries, such as the Czech Republic, have denounced the loss of power of the Agriculture Council, as the CAP rules would be spread across several texts, including the regulations on the National and Regional Partnership Plans. According to the Czech Minister, “without an independent CAP, our negotiating power at the Agriculture Council will be undermined”.
The proposal will weaken Slovakian agriculture. “I don’t understand how the Commission can propose something that puts a country at such risk”, said Slovakia, referring to a loss of around €1 billion.
Finland stressed that the Commission’s proposals are a starting point for the negotiations, but that they need to be considerably improved so that all Member States can develop a CAP that takes account of their specific characteristics. This also requires sufficient funds, as the national envelopes published last week represent, according to Finland, “drastic cuts” in income support.
Slovakia criticised the proposed compulsory degressivity and capping of direct payments. “These measures will affect Slovakia more than any other Member State. They will punish our country because of its historic agricultural structure based on large farms. 80% of our farmland and a considerable percentage of farmers will be affected”, protested Slovakia, which also called for greater external convergence (bringing levels of direct aid per hectare closer to a European average) of aid.
Christophe Hansen, Commissioner for Agriculture, sought to reassure by stating that the existing tools in the two pillars of the CAP will continue to exist, albeit in a different form. Lastly, he pointed out that the €300 billion was “an absolute minimum”, pending the outcome of negotiations on the next MFF. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)