Among the requested aids is the support for the protein autonomy of farms (100 million euros), the modernisation of slaughterhouses (€130 million), the “Biosecurity and animal welfare in farming” pact (€100 million) and training in collective bargaining for producer organizations (€4 million).
France, Ireland, and Italy outlined their draft bills for the 2021 budget for agriculture. At the European level, the Agri Committee voted the Recovery and Resilience plan for agriculture ahead of the discussion and vote in the plenary to be held in Strasbourg on October 20th. The bill passed in the Committee with 46 votes in favor, 2 abstentions, and no against.
At European Parliament level, Paolo De Castro (S&D), rapporteur on the recovery plan dossier, proposed that at least 2/3 of the total recovery package should be devoted to investment in sustainable development and digitization.
At the meeting of the Council of agriculture ministers, Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski explained that despite the recession caused by the pandemic, the value of EU agri-food exports reached €75.8 billion in January-May 2020, an increase of 2% compared to the same period of the previous year.
Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski announced at the informal Council meeting in Koblenz that he is in charge of drawing up a plan to ensure food security in case of future crises. Furthermore, opening up to pressure from MEPs, the Commissioner expressed his willingness to make the €8 current billion (7.5 billion constant euros) recovery funds decided for the sector available from January 2021.
For details on the Authorisations for State aid schemes: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/home/en
AREV deplores the decision of the American government and urges the European institutions to intensify their efforts to find a solution. Brussels, August, 14th, 2020… Read More »AREV deplores the US decision to maintain Special tariffs on European wine
There is an arm wrestling match between the European Commission and the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament on delegated acts for exceptional market measures for the wine sector. MEPs objected to one of the acts in order to obtain more ambitious support, notably for the wine and fruit and vegetable sectors. The Commission announced that it would propose a new act “before the summer” and before Parliament takes a final position of rejection (or not) at its July plenary session.
The President of the Assembly of European Wine Regions (AREV), Emiliano García-Page, addressed a letter to President Ursula von der Leyen, asking for her support in view of the current crisis in the sector caused by COVID19.
In addition to a recovery plan, AREV suggested the creation of a high-level group responsible for proposing measures to help revive the European wine sector affected by the pandemic.
Legislators from the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee have rejected part of the Commission’s proposed aid programme for wine, fruit and vegetable producers, saying it is not ambitious enough to cope with the disruption caused by the pandemic.
The AREV is very pleased to acknowledge that the Commission has taken up most of the requests expressed in its statement of 3rd of April 2020.
The measures requested were intended to respond to the urgency of the situation caused by Covid-19.
The Commissioner was present on the 30th of April to explain to ComAgri members the exceptional measures announced by the European Commission on 22 April and for which nine delegated acts are currently being prepared.
After hearing the remarks of the Members of Parliament, the Commissioner acknowledged the inadequacy of the proposed package without putting forward any substantial amendments. The only positive element in the Commissioner’s remarks was his position in favour of an independent and consistent crisis reserve, taking up the guidelines that Farm Europe has been proposing in this area since 2018.
Following this meeting, President of Comagri, Coordinators and MEP Anne Sander have joinlty decided on the 4th of May to urge the Commission to come with additional measures and financing otherwise a ‘smooth’ adoption of the proposed delegated act dealing with crisis mezsures for the wine sector could be compromised.
