In a letter to the European Parliament and the Cypriot EU presidency, Von der Leyen proposes to release 45 billion euros early for farmers. This concerns two-thirds of the amount that would normally only be made available halfway through the multi-annual budget, but Member States could now immediately request this money when submitting their national partnership plans.
Gesture is not enough
This gesture is not enough for the Boerenbond. “This is separate from the problems surrounding Mercosur, unfair competition is not being tackled,” says chairman Lode Ceyssens. “Moreover, the compensation is more than insufficient. Reducing an earlier reduction in the agricultural budget does not suddenly make the Mercosur agreement palatable. Let alone untangle the licensing knot.”