The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) needs a dedicated budget, and farmers must be assured that they will receive funding without conditions related to the rule of law or other requirements unrelated to the CAP, said Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski in Bucharest on Wednesday.

During an official visit to Romania, Wojciechowski, nearing the end of his term as commissioner, attended the National Conference of the Romanian Farmers’ Club, where he expressed his concerns about the future financing of the Common Agricultural Policy.

He insisted that the CAP needs “a separate budget,” adding that farmers “need to be sure that they will get the money without conditions—no discussions about the rule of law, for example, or other external requirements.” Wojciechowski commented in response to a farmer’s question at the event.

“You fulfil your obligations, you get the money,” he said, highlighting the fundamental agreement between the EU and farmers.

He also warned that a single budget covering all policies would be “dangerous” for farmers, as it could jeopardise the funds available to them.

Merging budgets, he said, could lead to less money for farmers due to inflation. He added that only 0.4% of the EU’s GDP is currently allocated to agriculture, despite the sector’s many challenges and obligations.

Wojciechowski also stressed that pushing for a stronger CAP budget is “absolutely necessary”, noting that a single budget would probably make external convergence politically unfeasible.

Wojciechowski’s comments came amid reports that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is considering a major overhaul of EU budget policy, which could end the CAP’s status as a separate budget line.

Last month, Romanian Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu spoke out against the integration of CAP funds with other EU funds.

Speaking at the Congress of European Farmers hosted by Copa Cogeca in Bucharest, Barbu proposed holding a referendum to gauge farmers’ opinions on whether the CAP budget should remain independent from 2027.

(Catalina Mihai | Euractiv.ro)

Source: Euractiv.com