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Cutting the budget of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by 30% is political lunacy, according to the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan.
Speaking at an EPP Group external bureau meeting in Valencia, Spain, this week, he said that the EPP Group must not support a 30% CAP cut either.
“Sometimes, there is a temptation among some politicians and some political parties to state that the CAP has done its job, and we can therefore cut the agriculture budget by 30%.
“I will not be supporting this political lunacy, and the EPP must not do so either.
“It is not fair that the farmers of Europe should potentially pay twice for Brexit, from the orange groves of Valencia to the reindeer forests of Finland.”
The CAP – a successful policy
Commissioner Hogan also said that he believes it can be said with confidence that the CAP is one of the most successful policies of the EU; the only fully funded EU policy, which guarantees food security for its citizens, and which has made Europe the best address for food in the world.
“However, we risk, at times, taking this success for granted. In my view, we should never forget the work of farmers in providing high-quality and safe food for our people – which is made possible by a strong and well-funded CAP.
“That is not to say that the CAP is a perfect policy instrument. It is not, so we are now embarking on a drive to simplify and modernise the policy.”
Generational renewal
Commissioner Hogan also said that generational renewal is a core priority of the next CAP.
Young, highly trained farmers are the conduit through which innovation and new technology can be translated into action in the field.
“It is my intention to come forward with an ambitious package of proposals under the future CAP package targeting support to our young farmers, to help them flourish and do what they do best: innovate.
“Small and young farmers must have access to our financial support to help adapt to precision agriculture.
“This will improve both their incomes and their contribution to environment and climate targets.”
Rural communities
On rural communities, he said that the EU is committed to reinforcing support for rural communities through investment, innovation support, and the provision of innovative financing tools for improving skills, services and infrastructure.
“This commitment to a strong rural development pillar is our concrete response to the Cork 2.0 Declaration, entitled "A Better Life in Rural Areas" and its 10 policy orientations.
“As the policy evolves and new challenges emerge, the second pillar allows us to make real forward strides in the area of innovation and technology.”
Digital divide
A further key obstacle to achieving future goals lies in the so-called "digital divide", the Commissioner said, whereby farmers and rural areas lag behind their urban neighbours in relation to connectivity and modern technologies.
“Bridging the digital divide is one of the most fundamental challenges facing agriculture and rural areas today, and policy makers everywhere need to do more to help build that bridge.
“The urban-rural digital divide is not just an imbalance of technology or connectivity: it is an imbalance of opportunity.”
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