EU budget chief soothes farmers fears over funding changes

Published connected 20/05/2025 - 14:58 GMT+2•Updated 15:08

European Union's fund Commissioner sought to reassure farmers protesting extracurricular nan institution’s office successful Brussels connected Tuesday for nan first clip successful almost a year.

Farmers reason a Commission scheme to consolidate different EU backing streams, specified arsenic nan bloc’s farming, location subsidy and investigation funds, into a azygous budgetary pot.

While nan thought has not yet been formally proposed, they fearfulness nan dismantling of nan communal agriculture argumentation (CAP), peculiarly of its support for agrarian development.

During an speech connected nan sidelines of nan protestation witnessed by Euronews, fund Commissioner Piotr Serafin met pinch farmers’ representatives. 

Farmers urged Serafin to safeguard a chopped cultivation budget, highlighting nan request to support mini farms and reside nan increasing situation of generational renewal successful nan sector.

They stressed nan value of protecting Europe’s nutrient sovereignty and ensuring that CAP retains its halfway identity.

“Tout est clair [all is clear],” Serafin replied successful French astatine nan extremity of nan meeting, assuring farmers he had understood their concerns.

He said he would relay their connection to EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen.

“No determination has been taken yet,” Serafin pointed out, adding that nan single-pot thought is still only astatine nan conceptual stage. He added that he remains unfastened to speech and welcomed continued chat pinch nan assemblage up of nan position of nan fund proposal.

As caput of nan Directorate-General for Budget (DG BUDG), Serafin is responsible for preparing nan adjacent Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), nan EU’s semipermanent budget.

The existent MFF runs from 2021 to 2027, pinch nan Commission expected to coming its connection for nan 2028–2034 rhythm successful early July.

Farmers protested during nan erstwhile MFF negotiations successful February 2020, opposing projected cuts to CAP funding. While concerns complete backing levels persist, nan latest protestation reflects deeper anxieties astir nan CAP’s structure.

One farmers’ typical warned during nan gathering against giving personnel states excessively overmuch leeway successful implementing CAP – a inclination reflected successful caller efforts to simplify EU policies – claiming that would consequence undermining nan policy’s unity and communal EU identity.

Speaking to Euronews aft nan meeting, a elder charismatic for Copa-Cogeca, nan EU farmers’ lobby, said Serafin’s openness to speech was a invited outcome.

However, farmers stay sceptical astir nan early of agrarian improvement funding, which they fearfulness whitethorn successful early beryllium forced to compete pinch wide location funding.