The proposal was unveiled at the European Parliament by Budget and Human Resources Commissioner Günther Oettinger, causing alarm about foreseen substantial cuts to the Common Agricultural Policy.
Reacting to the announcement, CEJA President Jannes Maes stated: “Young farmers across Europe have clearly vocalised our ambition in terms of environmental care, community building, and economic output. It must be made very clear that those ambitions can only be reached when they are met with an equally ambitious agricultural budget.”
The crucial task of enabling more young people to thrive in agriculture is the key to numerous challenges such as ensuring our future food security, reaching our climate and environmental targets, and stemming the decline of our rural areas. A budget which foresees a reduction in CAP funding lacks the ambition needed for Europeans to collectively face these challenges and undermines the work currently being undertaken to reform the CAP so that it delivers better outcomes for farmers and enhanced public goods for all EU citizens.
CEJA joins Commissioner Hogan in calling on Member States to increase their contributions to ensure that the CAP budget is maintained, and these cuts avoided. CEJA equally calls on MEPs, especially those members of COMAGRI, to maintain pressure both in Brussels and in their home countries to ensure that adequate support for farmers is secured during the coming negotiations.
