The voice of the representatives of the European Committee of the Regions, who are representatives of local governments from across the European Union, must be duly taken into account in shaping the future common agricultural policy. Our goal is not only to talk about the future, but above all to overcome the current problems accumulating in Europe. Remembering the value of a regional and local approach, you, farmers, cannot be missing in these conversations. Piotr Calbecki, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) Co-Rapporteur on the 'The Future of the Common Agricultural Policy' made these remarks after a series of exchange of views in various Commissions of the CoR.
Piotr Calbecki, who serves as President of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region and who he himself has first hand experience in the field added "Your business is more than food production. You are an important part of our common cultural heritage, firmly embedded in the heart of our European identity. Together with the members of the CoR, we listen to your concerns because we are committed to maintaining a strong and resilient agricultural sector. We want to create a new European model of agriculture that will allow you to earn an honest living."
Calbecki added that as rapporteur of the opinion of the CoR on 'The Future of the Common Agricultural Policy' he would raise five key points with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Janusz Wojciechowski, EU Commissioner for Agriculture.
1. Reducing bureaucracy for farmers
Reducing bureaucracy for farmers will improve the efficiency of their operations by reducing unnecessary procedures, allowing them to focus on production, innovation and investment, strengthening the competitiveness of the agricultural sector.
2. Farmers and representatives of local governments as key players in the EU decision-making process on the future Common Agricultural Policy
Farmers and local government officials must be engaged in the process of creating the future Common Agricultural Policy to take into account the diverse perspectives of the agricultural sector. Their knowledge of local conditions will help develop more effective policy solutions. Their experience will bring effective methods of implementation.
3. Customs policy and food surpluses from outside the EU
Controls and customs duty on non-EU products ensure quality and safety control of goods, protect domestic and Community industries against cheap imports, and generate revenues for Member States by ensuring fair and sustainable trade. Bypassing these mechanisms leaves a negative impact not only on the EU budget, but also raises concerns among farmers. Food surplus in the European Union, especially those exempt from customs mechanisms, should be exported, which will contribute to increasing farmers' income and meeting the demand for food in countries with shortages.
4. Reform of the policy related to eco-schemes and forced fallowing
Low levels of financial support, lack of clear evaluation criteria, bureaucracy and high implementation costs should result in the suspension of eco-schemes and forced fallowing of 4% area of agricultural farms. Funds should be transferred to direct payments.
5. Increasing the effectiveness of direct payments
Increasing the effectiveness of direct payments will increase the stability of agricultural income, supporting farm profitability. Additionally, it will contribute to the sustainable development of rural areas and will be crucial for maintaining sufficient food production in Europe among family, small and medium-sized farms.
The working document prepared by the Corapporteurs outlined the need to increase the consistency of EU policy to achieve common goals. In particular rural areas must be taken into consideration in all European policies as their needs extend far beyond what the rural development pillar of the Common Agriculture Policy can deliver. For example, better coherence of the interventions of EAFRD and cohesion policy should be ensured by reintegrating this fund in the common provisions regulation of cohesion policy.