Brussels, 08/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - French agriculture minister Dominique Bussereau reacted strongly on Thursday 4 January to the comments of Mariann Fischer Boel on the future of European agriculture. Mr Bussereau was particularly unhappy with the Commissioner's statement that the expected reduction in agricultural subsidies in the future EU budget, after the 2007-2013 period could lead some farmers to seek additional sources of income (see EUROPE 9336).
In a letter to Ms Fisher Boel, the French minister stressed “the great shock among French and European farmers” at these comments. “Telling them that their only prospect for survival was to look for an additional job seems to me to be unworthy of the European social model to which European citizens are deeply and rightly attached,” Mr Bussereau wrote. He also complained about the announcement that the agricultural budget will necessarily fall after 2013. “I can but react to your early announcement of drastic cut-backs in agricultural subsidies from 2013,” he wrote, going on, “I would point out that the agreement on the Union's financial perspective set the financial framework once and for all for the period 2007-2013, and, in no way, must the 2008-2009 health check go back on this political compromise”. “CAP first pillar spending set out in the 2007-2013 financial package will amount to 32% of the European budget in 2013, compared with 71% in 1984,” Mr Bussereau pointed out. “In fact, if one were to take public spending as a whole, bringing together Community and national budgets, spending on agriculture comes to less than 0.5% of European GDP,” he stressed. “Giving 0.5% of European GDP to guarantee our food security, both in terms of quality and quantity, and in future part of our energy supply, seems to me to be perfectly justified and reasonable in strategic terms and France is prepared to continue to pay this price, even after 2013,” he states. The Commission was astonished by the French reaction. Ms Fisher Boel “has been saying the same thing since her speech in Oulu in September” at the informal meeting of European agriculture ministers in Finland, said her spokesman, Michael Mann (see EUROPE 9237).
Ms Fischer Boel says it would be “irresponsible” not to prepare for post-2013
In her written response to Mr Bussereau on 5 January, Ms Fisher Boel said she felt it would be irresponsible not to prepare European agriculture for what lay ahead in budgetary terms. She pointed out firstly that the 2003 CAP reform comprised a series of “rendez-vous clauses”, constituting a health check, “designed to ensure that the CAP”, as defined in 2003, “operates as it should”. Where appropriate, this health check could also provide an opportunity for simplification, “but certainly not … an in-depth reform”, said the Commissioner.
A budgetary review is scheduled for 2008-2009 and “some Member States have already publicly expressed the desire to reduce CAP spending considerably, particularly under the first pillar” (direct aid and market spending), said Ms Fischer Boel. “For my part, contrary to what you indicate in your letter, I have never denounced the excessive proportion of the European budget accounted for by the CAP,” she went on, and she gave assurances that she did not want to go back on the financial perspective for 2007-2013. However, after 2013, “we will have to be realistic,” she wrote. She continued, “It is no insult to the future of agriculture to say right now that the amount of funding dedicated to the first pillar will probably not remain at the current level”. In any event, the discussions to be held in 2008-2009 (CAP health check and mid-term review of the EU budget as a whole) “will lay the foundations for what lies in store for European agriculture after 2013 from the budgetary point of view. It would be irresponsible not to make preparations for this,” she warned. The European Commission considers that budgetary effort should, in part, be transferred to rural development, the “second pillar” of the CAP, which is felt to be too light compared with “market” spending. “Diversification of economic activities in rural areas, which also includes the development of non-farming activities on farms or elsewhere” will “play a vital role”, said the Commissioner. Ms Fischer Boel also assured Mr Bussereau that her objective was to bring farmers and rural society to a sustainable and prosperous CAP which responded to society's needs and expectations. (lc)