EU's Agricultural Budget Cuts Spark Major Backlash
The European Commission's plans to cut the agricultural budget and merge funds have sparked a major backlash. Environmental groups warn of a 'race to the bottom' in standards, while several EU countries and farmers' representatives strongly oppose the proposals.
The Commission aims to reduce the agricultural budget by over 20 percent, from 387 billion euros to 302 billion euros by 2028. This includes merging funds for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and cohesion funds into a single pot. However, this has been met with broad criticism. France and Italy reject the cuts, with Italy's agriculture minister calling the proposals 'unacceptable'. Eastern German federal states warn of an 'attack on rural areas'.
Several EU countries, including Austria, have expressed concerns. Austria's Landeshauptmann-Stellvertreterin Anja Haider-Wallner and many agriculture ministers oppose the consolidation of agricultural funding. They prefer maintaining separate financing for direct payments and rural development programs due to fears of reduced security for farmers. The resistance is so massive that several agriculture ministers have already announced they will not agree to the proposals.
Adding to the tension, the German Environmental Aid warns that loosening the link between direct payments and environmental performance could contradict the Green Deal. Farmers, environmental organizations, and several EU countries share these concerns, fearing impacts on food security and the Green Deal. Finding a compromise between budget constraints, farmers' interests, and climate goals will be a challenging task for the EU.
The EU's plans to cut and consolidate agricultural funds have triggered a significant backlash. With strong resistance from farmers, environmental groups, and several EU countries, an agreement on the multi-annual financial framework 2028-2034 seems distant. Meanwhile, Germany is taking a different approach, increasing its agricultural budget and restoring agricultural diesel refunds to relieve farmers.
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