No part of the EU budget will be immune to funding cuts going forward, the European commissioner for budget and human resources has said.

“There are no areas immune. Every policy needs to become more efficient, modernised, and need to be prepared for cuts,” Günther Hermann Oettinger said when he presented the European Commission’s views on future spending in 2025. However, he added that wide cuts to agricultural funding will be rejected and that he has assured farm organisations of this.

“The CAP proves its worth in EU policy,” Oettinger said. “It guarantees safe, high quality and affordable food and jobs in rural areas. The job production factor is important.”

The German politician also noted that within the next decade discussions about where agriculture and the environment cross over will be scheduled.

The Commission is expected to set out the official post-2020 budget by late 2017/early 2018.

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