Hungarian farmers made their voices heard in Brussels

The nearly ten thousand demonstrators came from about twenty countries – including Hungary – to the Brussels demonstration, organized by the EU producer organization Copa-Cogeca and several European agricultural interest groups, including the National Chamber of Agriculture and the Association of Hungarian Farmers’ Associations and Farmers’ Cooperatives.

Tempers are boiling across Europe, member states, including Hungarian producers, are outraged

Together with farmers, interest groups are demanding a complete change of direction at today’s demonstration and will continue to demand it from the European Commission. They are firmly protesting against the Commission’s proposal published in June, according to which agricultural subsidies would be reduced by more than 20% in the 2028-2034 EU budget cycle and the abolition of the independent EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In contrast, it is justified to maintain the agricultural budget at least at its 2021-2027 level and to increase it in line with inflation, as well as to maintain the proven two-pillar structure of the CAP. In addition, it is unacceptable to reduce the area-based income support due to farmers, and the plan that farmers who have reached retirement age and receive old-age pensions will no longer be able to receive such support is also unacceptable. The European Commission plans to make decisions without thorough preparation, consultation with stakeholders and impact assessments, which is unsustainable. Farmers also demand that Brussels not conclude trade agreements with non-EU countries that endanger European farmers and pose a food safety risk to consumers. Imports from Ukraine, Brazil or Morocco are not expected to meet the EU’s mandatory food safety standards, yet they are allowed onto the European market without any checks.

NAK