Ahead of the release of the EU Commissions reflections paper on the future budget, Copa and Cogeca underlined in Brussels today the many benefits of the EU agriculture sector for growth jobs, quality food supplies, competiveness and underlined the need not to cut farm spending.
The move comes as the EU Commission is to set to release a reflections paper on the future EU budget on Wednesday, followed by a proposal in Autumn 2018.
Speaking in Brussels, Copa and Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said “We had a good debate on this with Commissioner Oettinger this month who underlined the many benefits of the agriculture sector. We believe that agriculture spending must be kept at current levels, otherwise not only farmers livelihoods, our competitiveness and high quality food supplies would be jeopardised, but also the delivery of the EU’s environmental and social goals. We call on the Commission, MEP and Ministers not to make any further cuts in agriculture spending.
Farmers’ incomes are already only 40% of average EU earnings and have fallen by 20% in the past four years. They are still recovering from the recent agricultural crisis and markets remain fragile. Now is not the time to make further reductions”.
