During a meeting on 24 February, eight EU Ministers of Agriculture signed a joint declaration regarding the Common Agricultural Policy and the funding of direct payments.
"EU farmers work in a common market and ambitious climate and environmental objectives are set on them, which is why we need to stand for the harmonisation of direct payments and a fairer EU agricultural budget," Estonian Minister of Rural Affairs Arvo Aller said on signing the declaration.
Direct payments that support farmers’ income differ up to five times between countries. Fourteen Member States receive lower direct payments than the EU average, with Estonia receiving the lowest direct payments. “We need to make joint efforts towards changing this situation. Our supports also need to reflect the fact that farmers will have to follow additional requirements in the next financial period imposed by the Green Deal proposals,” Minister Aller noted.
“Agriculture is an important part of European policy, which is why discussions need to move towards strengthening the budget of the Common Agricultural Policy,” the EU’s Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski stated.
The delegations were also hosted by the President of the Republic of Poland, Mr Andrzej Duda, who stressed in the meeting that farmers have been given an important responsibility in feeding the people. He expressed his hope that the European Commission would take this into account for the Common Agricultural Policy in the next seven-year multiannual financial framework.
The President of Poland also congratulated the Republic of Estonia on its Independence Day celebrations.
The joint declaration in Warsaw was signed by the Ministers of Agriculture of Estonia, Poland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania.
The joint declaration signed by eight countries will be presented for further discussions at the next Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting.
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