The European Union wants to secure the future of agriculture and focuses on young people and small companies. Brussels also wants to create a ‘more equal playing field’, among other things by simplifying rules. The big question remains for the time being how much money the agricultural plans can cost.
The new agricultural strategy is a “strong reaction to the call for help” that has been heard everywhere in Europe in recent years, said Raffaele Fitto, vice -president of the European Commission, on Wednesday during the presentation of the new agricultural vision in Brussels. He thereby referred to the recent farmers’ protests. “A powerful agricultural sector does not stand on its own. This goes hand in hand with the development of rural areas, with sufficient essential services and investments in digitization and the infrastructure. ”
Aging
The concerns about a future -proof agricultural sector are great in Brussels. Although the agricultural sector offers work for around 30 million people, less than 12 percent of European farmers are younger than forty years. “The European average is above 57 years,” said Luxembourg Christian Democrat Christophe Hansen, European Commissioner Agriculture and Nutrition. He calls rejuvenating the sector a “huge challenge.” “We have to make working in agriculture more attractive for new generations, especially in view of the current geopolitical and climate insurities.”
We have to make working in agriculture more attractive for new generations
The latter is at odds political foot with the Mercosur-Handelsen agreement. In December committee chairman Ursula von der Leyen signed this Treaty for free trade between the EU and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. But farmers, especially in France and Poland, are now afraid of being concurrated by South American farmers.
‘Derisk’
In order to protect European farmers against this, in 2025 the Commission will be a Unity Safety just for the agricultural sector. The Commission also wants to collaborate with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to be able to provide export credits where the farmers do not have to rise for the export risks. In the light of the Mercosurverdrag, among other things, European wine and milk products must be better protected, says Hansen.
LTO Nederland is “positive about the new path that is being taken”
‘Derisk’ is the code word of the committee, where export markets outside the US must be tapped. Brussels also wants to step by step by agricultural subsidies based on the number of hectares, in order to also make funds available for smaller farms. In the sustainability plane, Europe wants to work with ‘stimulation measures’ that should reward good entrepreneurship in this area. At the end of 2025, the evaluation of the Nitrate Directive must be completed in the context of manure legislation.
LTO Nederland, the entrepreneurial organization for Dutch farmers and gardeners, is “positive about the new road that is being taken”. But, says LTO chairman Ger Koopmans, “the proposals are not yet concrete, so there is much about the elaboration”.
Bert-Jan Ruissen, MEP on behalf of the SGP and a member of the Agricultural Committee in the European Parliament, is “happy” that the committee focuses on less regulatory pressure and a “more competitive union”. “There must be room again for entrepreneurship. It is desperately needed that there will again be a future perspective for farmers and gardeners. “
Insecurity
Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, MEP for D66, is more critical. “The EU produces an incredible amount of food, more than we can ever consume. Nevertheless, we depend on other parts of the world, because we import baking and baking animal feed for an over-intensive animal husbandry. Given the current geopolitical developments, this is a risk that must be phased out. That means very simple: less intensive animal husbandry. The committee endorses this risk in its analysis, but the Commissioner for Agriculture says something else for political reasons. That double message is not what farmers need to know what their future looks like. “
The committee will present the simplification of the legislation later this year. There will continue to be uncertainty about the entire common agricultural policy, which currently covers more than a third of the EU budget. It is known that Commission President Von der Leyen wants to use the budget to restore the industrial competitiveness of Europe.