Farm leaders reject plan to cut CAP
Proposals to reduce the CAP budget are unacceptable in view of rising demand for food, higher production costs and substantial market volatility, say European farm leaders.
The European farm union Copa-Cogeca issued the warning in the run-up to a crucial EU summit on 22-23 November. Proposals on the EU budget for 2014-20 represented a significant cut in farm spending and risk threatening food security and rural development, it said.
Farmers were already squeezed hard by high input costs, said Copa-Cogeca secretary general Pekka Pesonen. They already faced measures that would require them to do much more for less money following CAP reform, he added.
Cyprus, which holds the EU presidency, wants further cuts in excess of EU proposals that would see the CAP budget reduced by 10% in real terms. It also believes member states should not have to co-finance funds transferred from direct payments to rural development measures.
But Mr Pesonen said agricultural spending must at least be kept at current levels until 2020 to ensure farmers have a viable future. It was also important to ensure that there is strong national and regional support for rural development measures under the second pillar.
“All second pillar expenditure should therefore be co-financed,” said Mr Pesonen. “The presidency proposals are therefore totally unacceptable and I urge heads of state and governments to make sure they are revised.”
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