Slovak farmers will protest in Brussels regarding EU agricultural funding

Bratislava – The Slovak Agricultural and Food Chamber (SPPK) will protest in Brussels on Tuesday (May 20) against the European Commission’s intention to change the way European agriculture is funded. On Monday, SPPK Chairman Andrej Gajdoš stated this. He reminded that the protest, as part of a so-called flash action, will take place near the roundabout in the center of Brussels at Schuman Square, TASR reports.

“This is absolutely unimaginable and unacceptable for European food producers. If the European Commission does not prepare a strong, independent, and sustainable budget for agri-food producers, then in the face of global threats, it will jeopardize the food security of the European Union,” Gajdoš explained.

With the protest, SPPK aims to express disagreement with the change in the funding of European agriculture, while existing European funds, of which there are about 530, could be combined into one so-called “super fund,” which could threaten the funding of agriculture. The proposal to centralize EU funding into one fund could, according to the chamber, offer budgetary flexibility, but there is a risk that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will have less focus and guarantees without a common vision.

Replacing the dual-pillar CAP with a single model of national programming would weaken the single market, delay key investments, and create deep disparities among member states. At the same time, it would also threaten the income and sustainability of millions of farmers and jeopardize the stability of the agri-food chain.

The chamber added that without a clear and protected budget line to support the European agricultural framework, the European agricultural policy could collapse like a house of cards, which is also the main idea of the protest. It symbolizes the collapse of the EU’s agricultural policy if a budget for the CAP is not allocated. According to Gajdoš, the construction in the form of a house of cards will also be symbolically demolished, with the lowest level representing that without a budget, there is no CAP. The higher level will remind that without the CAP, there are no farmers, and finally, the highest will symbolize that without farmers, there is no food security. (May 19)

“If the European Commission does not prepare a strong, independent, and sustainable budget for agri-food producers, then in the face of global threats, it will jeopardize the food security of the European Union.” Andrej Gajdoš.