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LV Latvian farmers participate in extraordinary meeting of European farmers' umbrella organization COPA/COGECA
This week, Europe will hold crucial negotiations on the EU's multiannual budget for 2014-2020.
In response to the targeted activities of Baltic farmers and the persistent fight for the interests of Baltic farmers and the hesitation of the European Parliament to adopt the EU multiannual budget for 2014-2020, the European farmers' organization COPA/COGECA is organizing an ambitious extraordinary COPA/COGECA Bureau meeting on Wednesday, February 6, advocating for the EU agricultural budget. More than 400 farmers from all over Europe and 12 farmers from Latvia will participate in the meeting. At the end of the extraordinary Bureau meeting, it is planned to sign and submit to the European Parliament a declaration in which farmers demand a strong agricultural budget.
In response to the targeted activities of Baltic farmers and the persistent fight for the interests of Baltic farmers and the hesitation of the European Parliament to adopt the EU multiannual budget for 2014-2020, the European farmers' organization COPA/COGECA is organizing an ambitious extraordinary COPA/COGECA Bureau meeting on Wednesday, February 6, advocating for the EU agricultural budget. More than 400 farmers from all over Europe and 12 farmers from Latvia will participate in the meeting. At the end of the extraordinary Bureau meeting, it is planned to sign and submit to the European Parliament a declaration in which farmers demand a strong agricultural budget.
The aim of the extraordinary presidium meeting is to send a clear message to EU countries and governments, the media and EU institutions, underlining the need to decide on a strong CAP budget. European farmers point out that over the past 15 years, the increase in farm costs has far outpaced the prices farmers receive for their produce. As a result, farmers' incomes have suffered and are, on average, half that of other sectors. The agricultural sector remains one of the main sources of employment in the EU - according to Eurostat, more than 26 million people are employed in agriculture. The total cost of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is less than 11% of the total public expenditure of EU governments.
The extraordinary Bureau meeting and conference will take place just one day before the crucial European Council meeting to discuss the multiannual budget, which will take place on 7 and 8 February.
The conference of the European Farmers' Organisation will be attended by such influential representatives of EU institutions as Mr. Paolo de Castro, Chairman of the EP Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. George Haeusler, Head of the Office of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture of Ireland, and others.
Representatives of organizations closely related to agriculture will also participate in the extraordinary meeting of the Presidium, involving officials in a discussion on the common agricultural policy after 2014. Representatives from five farmers' organizations will participate in the meeting from Latvia - the Farmers' Parliament, the Latvian Association of Agricultural Cooperatives, the Cooperation Council of Farmers' Organizations, the Latvian Farmers' Federation, and the Association of Agricultural Statutory Societies.
Representatives of Latvian farmers, together with farmers from neighboring countries, will also continue to insist on the specific inequality of Baltic farmers, about which they have been actively negotiating with EU officials, farmers from other countries and officials from the Baltic states for more than a year. Baltic farmers emphasize that EU direct payments must be equal. The farmers' position emphasizes the importance of food security, rural employment, and the development of a stable and future-proof agricultural sector.
"Farmers are also demanding adequate funding for both direct payments and rural development policy to promote sustainable growth of agriculture and rural areas. Rural development funding should be no less than in the current payment period in order to be able to improve the agricultural infrastructure of the Baltic States," says Maira Dzelzkalēja, Deputy Chairwoman of the Farmers' Parliament, one of the representatives of the lobbying team representing farmers' interests in the EU.
Over the past week, Baltic farmers have organized repeated talks between politicians from all three countries and representatives of farmers' non-governmental organizations, seeking a solution to the situation before the upcoming next European Council meeting, which will discuss the multiannual budget on February 7.
On February 5, in connection with direct payments, the Baltic farmers' campaign "Baltic Road" will take place, in which, symbolizing the unity of the countries, 400 bonfires will be set up and lit on the access roads of the "Via Baltica" highway, while on February 7, during the European Council, a unique Baltic farmers' choir concert will take place.
As reported, the proposal for the EU's multiannual budget for 2014-2020 by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, made last November, envisages area payments of 196 euros (138 lats) per hectare for the Baltic countries, however, this could only be achieved in 2020, while farmers'
The requirement is equal payments from 2014. Direct payments to Latvian farmers are currently at the lowest level in the EU, not exceeding 63 lats per hectare, while the average EU figure is 266 euros or 186 lats per hectare.
Expert participation in the event was provided as part of the VLT activity “Industry Expert Reports”.
The extraordinary Bureau meeting and conference will take place just one day before the crucial European Council meeting to discuss the multiannual budget, which will take place on 7 and 8 February.
The conference of the European Farmers' Organisation will be attended by such influential representatives of EU institutions as Mr. Paolo de Castro, Chairman of the EP Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. George Haeusler, Head of the Office of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture of Ireland, and others.
Representatives of organizations closely related to agriculture will also participate in the extraordinary meeting of the Presidium, involving officials in a discussion on the common agricultural policy after 2014. Representatives from five farmers' organizations will participate in the meeting from Latvia - the Farmers' Parliament, the Latvian Association of Agricultural Cooperatives, the Cooperation Council of Farmers' Organizations, the Latvian Farmers' Federation, and the Association of Agricultural Statutory Societies.
Representatives of Latvian farmers, together with farmers from neighboring countries, will also continue to insist on the specific inequality of Baltic farmers, about which they have been actively negotiating with EU officials, farmers from other countries and officials from the Baltic states for more than a year. Baltic farmers emphasize that EU direct payments must be equal. The farmers' position emphasizes the importance of food security, rural employment, and the development of a stable and future-proof agricultural sector.
"Farmers are also demanding adequate funding for both direct payments and rural development policy to promote sustainable growth of agriculture and rural areas. Rural development funding should be no less than in the current payment period in order to be able to improve the agricultural infrastructure of the Baltic States," says Maira Dzelzkalēja, Deputy Chairwoman of the Farmers' Parliament, one of the representatives of the lobbying team representing farmers' interests in the EU.
Over the past week, Baltic farmers have organized repeated talks between politicians from all three countries and representatives of farmers' non-governmental organizations, seeking a solution to the situation before the upcoming next European Council meeting, which will discuss the multiannual budget on February 7.
On February 5, in connection with direct payments, the Baltic farmers' campaign "Baltic Road" will take place, in which, symbolizing the unity of the countries, 400 bonfires will be set up and lit on the access roads of the "Via Baltica" highway, while on February 7, during the European Council, a unique Baltic farmers' choir concert will take place.
As reported, the proposal for the EU's multiannual budget for 2014-2020 by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, made last November, envisages area payments of 196 euros (138 lats) per hectare for the Baltic countries, however, this could only be achieved in 2020, while farmers'
The requirement is equal payments from 2014. Direct payments to Latvian farmers are currently at the lowest level in the EU, not exceeding 63 lats per hectare, while the average EU figure is 266 euros or 186 lats per hectare.
Expert participation in the event was provided as part of the VLT activity “Industry Expert Reports”.