Spain and 19 other countries call for a “well-funded” CAP with legal personality

Madrid – The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, together with his counterparts from 19 other member states, has sent a letter to the European Commission requesting a future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), based on two pillars (direct payments and rural development measures), with a “good financial allocation” and with “its own legal and institutional personality,” separate from other community policies.

Specifically, this letter, signed by the ministers of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Slovakia, Slovenia, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Spain, is addressed to the Commissioner for Budget, Fight against Fraud, and Public Administration, Piotr Serafin, but with a copy to the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Christophe Hansen.

In this way, the document includes the joint declaration of the 20 countries in which they emphasize the importance of maintaining an “autonomous, independent, and strategic” CAP, in light of the upcoming negotiation of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) scheduled for this July.

The ministers of the member states highlight the role of the CAP in ensuring food security, a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, maintaining social cohesion, the sustainability of rural areas, and contributing to the environmental sustainability of the European Union (EU).

To address the political, economic, and environmental challenges facing the EU — such as adapting to climate change, market volatility, and generational renewal in the agricultural sector — they believe that the next financial framework must support an “independent” CAP to respond to the necessary sustainable agricultural competitiveness, societal expectations, and social cohesion objectives.

In this way, the ministers emphasize that the future CAP must have the two pillars, as they consider that direct payments are “fundamental” to provide the necessary support for the income of farmers and ranchers, especially in the current geopolitical context, while rural development aid is “essential” to maintain the population in rural areas, promote modernization and innovation investments in agricultural operations and rural infrastructure, or protect the environment.

A “credible” CAP with a sufficient budget

Therefore, they insist that “a credible CAP” must be backed by a sufficient budget. The vision for agriculture and food from the European Commission highlights the strategic importance of agricultural policy in relation to climate action, food sufficiency, and technological advancement, which requires “solid and predictable” financial support.

Moreover, they consider it “crucial” that farmers and ranchers are essential in the design and implementation of this specific policy for the agricultural sector. (June 5)