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LV Baltic farmers emphasize the need to ensure fair distribution of direct payments to new EU leaders
Today, December 4, a coalition of Baltic farmers' NGOs sent an open letter to European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President David Sassoli, calling for a fair distribution of direct payments under the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy. Next week, Baltic farmers are scheduled to meet with their leaders ahead of the European Council.
Maira Dzelzkalēja-Burmistre, Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of the Association “Farmers' Council”: "As the new mandate of European leaders begins, we, the non-governmental organizations of farmers in the Baltic States, would like to remind you with the letter sent today about important issues for which an adequate solution has still not been found. Ahead of the European Council meeting on 12 December and the discussions on the EU’s multiannual budget for 2021-2027, in our letter to European leaders we would like to emphasize that since joining the EU in 2004, farmers from all three Baltic States have received the lowest level of direct support compared to other Member States. Currently, only 54–60% of the European average. In addition, production costs are much higher than the EU average – 129% (Estonia), 112% (Lithuania) and 113% (Latvia), respectively. We are also concerned about the increasing emphasis on environmental requirements, which could create an even greater burden on the sector.”
The letter to the leaders of the European Union from Latvia was signed by the leadership of the association "Farmers' Council", "Latvian Association of Agricultural Cooperatives", "Latvian Farmers' Federation", "Association of Agricultural Statutory Societies" and "Latvian Agricultural Organization Cooperation Council".
The farmers' activities will not stop with just sending a letter. Tomorrow in Lithuania, farmers will participate in the "Meeting of Heads of Farmers' Organizations of the Three Seas Regions", where they will discuss the future strategy of action regarding the Common Agricultural Policy.
Early next week, the leaders of all Baltic farmers' non-governmental organizations will meet with their respective leaders. The meeting with Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš is scheduled for Tuesday, December 10.
We recall that almost seven years ago, in early February 2013, the European Council unanimously agreed that all Member States should achieve a direct payment level of at least EUR 196 per hectare by 2020 at the latest. The promise has not been fulfilled and the level for Baltic farmers in 2020 will be approximately EUR 176.
