There has been no increase in the ambition for young farmers’ measures and the 2% to be ring-fenced will only apply to the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers.
Crucial instruments in Pillar II that assist young farmers in setting up will have no guarantee of a fixed financial allocation. This includes installation aid which will be accessible to new farmers and rural businesses as well as young farmers, thereby diluting the assistance received by each individual.
Additionally, while the inclusion of the amendment on the “no-backsliding” principle declaring that Member States cannot attribute a lower envelope to young farmers’ measures compared to the one in the 2014-2020 CAP was a positive step, it is now no longer on the table.
“It will be crucial that young farmers’ organisations play an active role in the elaboration of the SWOT analyses that will take place in every Member State, in order to show that they have not been forgotten by their representatives and as an acknowledgement that generational renewal isn’t merely a written objective but an urgent and real need for the future of the sector,” said CEJA President Jannes Maes.
The 2 April vote is vital to the future generation of European farmers. They deserve to see improvements in the Policy rather than a worsening of the situation resulting from empty promises.
