The current multi -year budget of the European Union amounts to 1200 billion euros. Brussels wants an astronomical amount of 2000 billion euros for the period after 2028, against which the Netherlands immediately resisted. The Commission also wants to accommodate the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in a newly composed fund. This gives countries control over the national interpretation of European money.
Brussels wants astronomical EU budget of 2000 billion euros: the Netherlands is immediately resisted
Farmers’ organization LTO Nederland warns that this will lead to an uneven playing field for farmers, if countries set different priorities when spending agricultural funds. In addition, there is a substantial reduction in the agricultural budget, which means that according to LTO there is less money for sustainability or support for young farmers.
‘Loss of commonality’
“The budget proposals bring a lot of uncertainty for farmers and gardeners,” says LTO chairman Ger Koopmans. “The moment that the amount and interpretation of agricultural fees is left so far to individual countries, investment security and food security are dependent on national politics. While farmers and gardeners operate in a joint European market. This is how common agricultural policy loses its commonality.”
Young farmers fear distribution of European subsidy pot: ‘It is concealed that they will be huge in budgets’
Young farming organization NAJK is moderately positive about the new EU budget. For example, the organization can be pleased with the doubling of the budget for young farmers. “It is positive that Europe now explicitly appoints generation -innovation and young farmers as a priority within the CAP,” says Gerben Boom, portfolio holder internationally at NAJK. “At the same time, we have to remain realistic: a lot now depends on how the Netherlands will use this space. Without a powerful national interpretation that has an eye for a level playing field in Europe, the nice words remain.”
The Member States and the European Parliament will be negotiated with regard to the new EU budget in the coming years. The farmers’ organizations hope that their points of care will be removed.