V4 agricultural chambers demand complete change of direction from the European Commission

According to the statement, the leaders of the agricultural chambers of the four countries met in Tatra Lomnica, Slovakia, on Thursday and Friday. Their joint statement states that they strongly oppose the Commission’s June proposal to reduce agricultural subsidies by more than 20 percent in the 2028-2034 EU budget cycle and to abolish the independent EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The agricultural chambers consider it justified to maintain the agricultural budget at least at the 2021-2027 level, to increase it in line with inflation, and to maintain the proven two-pillar structure of the CAP. In addition, the organizations do not agree with reducing area-based income support and that farmers who have reached retirement age and receive old-age pensions should no longer receive such support, they said. As they wrote, “the European Commission plans to make decisions without thorough preparation, consultation with stakeholders and impact studies, which is unsustainable.” The four agricultural chambers call on EU decision-makers to “not conclude trade agreements with countries outside the EU that endanger European farmers and pose a food safety risk to consumers.” According to the statement, imports from Ukraine, Brazil or Morocco do not meet the food safety standards required by the European Union, yet they are allowed onto the European market without inspection. Not only are producers in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia outraged, but tempers are boiling all over Europe, they wrote. Due to the planned EU measures, there will be a “large-scale farmers’ demonstration involving several thousand people” in Brussels on December 18. In addition to the four countries that have just issued a statement, farmers and agricultural interest groups from several other member states will also participate in the demonstration, with nearly ten thousand people, the statement reads. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture was also represented at the V4 meeting for the first time, which, according to the press release, shows the strengthening of joint interest representation.

MTI