The Frequent Agricultural Coverage (CAP) wants a devoted funds, and farmers have to be assured that they may obtain funding with out situations associated to the rule of legislation or different necessities unrelated to the CAP, mentioned Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski in Bucharest on Wednesday.
Throughout an official go to to Romania, Wojciechowski, nearing the top of his time period as commissioner, attended the Nationwide Convention of the Romanian Farmers’ Membership, the place he expressed his issues concerning the future financing of the Frequent Agricultural Coverage.
He insisted that the CAP wants “a separate funds,” including that farmers “must ensure that they may get the cash with out situations—no discussions concerning the rule of legislation, for instance, or different exterior necessities.” Wojciechowski commented in response to a farmer’s query on the occasion.
“You fulfil your obligations, you get the cash,” he mentioned, highlighting the elemental settlement between the EU and farmers.
He additionally warned {that a} single funds overlaying all insurance policies could be “harmful” for farmers, because it may jeopardise the funds obtainable to them.
Merging budgets, he mentioned, may result in much less cash for farmers as a consequence of inflation. He added that solely 0.4% of the EU’s GDP is presently allotted to agriculture, regardless of the sector’s many challenges and obligations.
Wojciechowski additionally burdened that pushing for a stronger CAP funds is “completely mandatory”, noting {that a} single funds would most likely make exterior convergence politically unfeasible.
Wojciechowski’s feedback got here amid studies that European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen is contemplating a serious overhaul of EU funds coverage, which may finish the CAP’s standing as a separate funds line.
Final month, Romanian Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu spoke out in opposition to the mixing of CAP funds with different EU funds.
Talking on the Congress of European Farmers hosted by Copa Cogeca in Bucharest, Barbu proposed holding a referendum to gauge farmers’ opinions on whether or not the CAP funds ought to stay unbiased from 2027.
(Catalina Mihai | Euractiv.ro)