Brussels, 03/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - French farmers have reacted angrily to ideas expressed in an interview published on 30 December by the Financial Times. The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Mariann Fischer Boel, warned that more European farmers would need to look for a second job after a reduction in agricultural subsidies in 2013.
In order to be able to deal with the reduction in subsidies planned in 2013, the Commissioner stated, “I think you will see an increase in the number of part-time farmers”. She added that farmers “would live in the countryside but need an income outside the farming sector”. Fischer Boel said that “everyone knows there will be less money available…so let's have a discussion with the Member States and farmers about how to adapt”.
On Tuesday the Fédération nationale des syndicates d'exploitants agricoles (FNSEA, the main French farmers' union) described Ms Fischer Boel's remarks as “disgraceful”. An FNSEA press release explained that they were, “calling on those who were familiar with agriculture, as well as the French public authorities to respond to these disgraceful comments”. Farmers find these ideas shocking and they weaken us in our international negotiations”. FNSEA also posed the question of what other profession would be subject to such an outrage and in what conditions one would be able to exercise one's profession if it were only part-time. The Federation said that 2013 was certainly an important stage for the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) but giving up a policy was neither a suitable nor dignified response. It believed that the European Commissioner had resorted to “provocation”. (lc)