[Lymec-PM] Agricultural ministers recently held an informal meeting in Brussels about the future of the so called Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The ministers want to keep direct EU subsidies for farmers and rural development, but at the same time were strongly divided when it comes to the division of the subsidies. France and Germany, which cooperate so closely that they have officials from the other country employed in each other’s agricultural ministries, pushed forward with a paper outlining their visions for the future of the CAP. This joint report foresees to keep the direct support for farmers and therefore no meaningful reform at all.
LYMEC President Alexander Plahr comments: “Throughout several years Europe failed to change the CAP. The policy roughly takes 40 percent of the EU budget, billions of Euros every year. The German and French proposal would leave us with the same policy as now. This would be a grave mistake, as it would not free up funds for education, research and infrastructure, which are much more valuated among citizens.”
Only a few countries (e.g. United Kingdom and Denmark) were in favour of reducing the CAP’s overall budget in order to free up money for other areas.
LYMEC Vice-President Mette Lykke Nielsen adds: “With the Lisbon Treaty the agricultural policy is with in the co-decision procedure and thereby discussed and decided in the European Parliament. It is now time for the parliamentarians to show that they disagree with the German and French governments’ proposal and want to move Europe forward to leave the farmers with a free and fair market”.
Plahr ends: ”The European Commission will put forward a draft proposal on November 17th this year and then give a concrete legislative proposal in July 2011. Let us start debating the issue now, so that Europe does not repeat the mistakes of the past!”
Folge uns bei Twitter