Brussels, 04/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - The EU agriculture ministers are to hold an informal meeting in Luxembourg from 8 to 10 May in order to discuss current issues or issues already on the negotiating table (reform of the sugar sector, talks at the WTO on trade liberalisation, the new European rural development fund, etc.). The Council's working session, to be held on Tuesday 10 May, is devoted to the future of young farmers. The European Council of Young Farmers (ECYF) will be associated with the Council's work. The Luxembourg EU Council Presidency's working document, which identifies four key series of questions that deserve to be discussed by Member States and young farmers, states that young people who are considering or about to choose the farming profession ask a good many questions about the future of the profession and about agriculture in general.
Access to agricultural activity: This issue is currently being dealt with in connection with the examination of the proposal on support for rural development by the new European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (measures for establishment of young farmers). According to the document, these measures must allow the succession of farms. Ministers and farmers taking part in the debate are invited to devise ways to reconcile a high number of successions of farms (necessary from the point of view of the age balance and structure of farmers) with the requirements for training, vocational training and the economic dimension of farms. Another question: To what extent does attracting young people to the agricultural sector depend on improving the living conditions of the population and young people in the rural environment?
Image of farming: It is appropriate to consolidate this more positive image of farming, the EU Council Presidency states, calling on Member States to identify the players or the preferential means of action for developing such an image among consumers and the farming world.
Training and exchanges: An adequate level of training of young farmers and the ability to increase the level of knowledge acquired becomes increasingly essential to ensure the continuation of farms, the document states, considering that the areas for training are many (technical, economic, environmental aspects and animal welfare in farming). Ministers will answer the following questions: How can continuous education and agricultural exchanges be developed further? How can we ensure that agricultural training and research are in step with the economic and social realities of the farming sector?
CAP instruments and young farmers: The documents recalls that the CAP was reformed in 2003 with the introduction of a single payment scheme per farm (irrespective of the volume of production) and the establishment of a link between the single payment system and compliance with standards in the field of the environment, food safety, animal and plant health and animal welfare. What impact will the reorgnaisatoin of the first pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy have on young farmers and which rural development policy instruments are capable of encouraging and supporting young farmers in particular?, the presidency asks.
Young farmers will take over from the current generation of company heads and will then make up a network that drives the farming sector, the document recalls. In order for the farming sector to develop, farmers who retire or leave the sector should be replaced by a sufficient number of younger farmers. The age structure of farm labour currently, with some variations depending on the Member States, presents a major phenomenon of ageing, especially among men. This trend towards an ageing farm population cannot be reversed in the short term, the presidency states.
Working methods of EU farm experts
The Special Agriculture Committee (SAC) is to meet on Monday morning to discuss improvements to its working methods with EU enlargement to ten new Member States on 1 May 2004. It is recognised that, because of Union enlargement, there should be reform of working methods. This is also true for the SAC, if it hopes to maintain or improve effectiveness as a high level preparatory body for certain questions under the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, the Luxembourg Presidency states in a working document on the subject that lists the changes to be made (complete round table discussions only in very exceptional cases, two-minute speeches at most per delegation, self-discipline concerning requesting for “miscellaneous” points to be raised, etc.)