R. Takáč: Proposals for the seven-year EU budget mean the liquidation of agriculture in Slovakia
Bratislava – The proposals of the European Commission (EC) for the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the years 2028 to 2034 will mean the liquidation of agriculture in Slovakia. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic, Richard Takáč (Smer-SD), pointed out at a press briefing on Friday that while in the current programming period Slovakia has 4.6 billion euros for the agricultural sector, in the next programming period it should be one billion euros less, TASR reports.
“Unfortunately, based on the information we received on Thursday (September 18), it has been confirmed what we have been saying. We were right that this is very bad, it is destructive. It is not only destructive for all of Europe, but destructive for the agricultural sector in Slovakia,” said Richard Takáč.
The Agriculture Minister reminded that the published proposal of the European Commission states that the Slovak Republic will receive almost one billion euros less in financial resources for the agricultural sector during the redistribution of funds than it did in the programming period 2021 to 2027, when 4.6 billion euros were allocated.
He warned that the EC had considered creating a special separate fund, for example, for Slovakia, Poland, or Hungary, that is, for countries facing the import of agricultural commodities from Ukraine.
“The EC does propose a special fund, but for countries that border Russia and Belarus, namely Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland. And that is an incomprehensible twist for me,” he emphasized.
He also pointed out that Slovakia has been a member of the EU for more than 20 years and in two decades has not yet caught up with the old EU member states in direct payments.
“We are at the level of 82% compared to other EU countries. Some countries have 130%, 140%, 200%, and the Slovak Republic, after more than 20 years of EU membership, is at the level of 82%. And the proposal of the European Commission previously stated that this would be taken into account in the support that will go to individual countries for external convergence in the new programming period,” added Takáč. (September 19)
“The proposal of the European Commission states that the Slovak Republic will receive almost one billion euros less in financial resources for the agricultural sector during the redistribution of funds than it did in the programming period 2021 to 2027.” Richard Takáč
