Commissioner Hansen: EU support should target active and young farmers
České Budějovice – Support from the future common European agricultural policy should primarily be directed towards active farmers who contribute to food production, not to those who merely own land. This was agreed upon by the European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen and the Minister of Agriculture Mark Výborný (KDU-ČSL) during today’s briefing at the agricultural fair Země živitelka. According to Hansen, it is also necessary to support farmers operating in disadvantaged areas as well as young and beginning farmers.
“We must support those who need it the most, who actively contribute to food and commodity production,” said Hansen. Výborný also called for the creation of a stable system that would allow farmers to plan, invest, and adapt to future challenges. “Czechia needs to know the legislation as soon as possible so that we can prepare and avoid any transitional period. We want to be ready for agriculture to be based on stability and to be competitive,” said Výborný.
Czech farmers do not agree with the new policy, which among other things introduces a cap on subsidies, nor with the level of the European agricultural budget. They criticize the abolition of the two-pillar structure, according to which funds are primarily distributed for investments and direct payments linked to area or livestock. “We are concerned about the budget drop in real terms by up to half compared to the current period, as well as the abolition of the two-pillar system, which is based on direct payments and investment subsidies. The European Commission did not take into account the current difficult situation of farmers and food producers, nor the future economic impacts of the proposed relatively radical changes in the existing functioning of the subsidy system, without which European agriculture cannot do without,” said the president of the Agrarian Chamber of the Czech Republic Jan Doležal in response to a question from ČTK.
In response to the criticism, Hansen pointed out that the first proposal for the future agricultural policy and budget will still be discussed, and individual countries should know their budgets within a few weeks. The Commissioner also noted that much of the criticism stems from “misinformation and comparing apples to oranges.” “The proposal provides predictability for farmers so they can reinvest and more young people can return to the sector,” added Hansen.
The merger of pillars is defended by the Commissioner as a greater simplification and efficiency in the disbursement of subsidies. According to him, the new approach respects the diversity of member states and brings a significant number of simplifications that farmers have called for. Hansen and Výborný consider the discussion of the so-called simplification package, which aims to reduce the administrative burden on farmers, as one of the current priorities. The European Commission is also expected to present a second package this autumn, which should address biological alternatives to plant protection products, for example. “It is necessary for the packages to be discussed this year in November so that they can be incorporated into national legislation,” warned Výborný. (August 21)
