For a good week, farmers’ anger has been growing. After having consulted extensively in recent days, the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, finally made the first announcements on Friday in favor of the agricultural world.
Faced with the anger of farmers, Gabriel Attal had promised initial announcements. It is now done. Friday, from Haute-Garonne where he had gone for the occasion, the Prime Minister, who received a number of unions and other players in the sector in recent days in Matignon, spoke at length to the farmers. “This is a new chapter for French agriculture, […] an unprecedented effort”, he declared in the preamble from a farm in Montastruc-de-Salies, before announcing “10 immediate simplification measures” and “a month of simplification until the Agricultural Show “.
Gabriel Attal announces 10 immediate simplification measures
First of all, Gabriel Attal announced 10 immediate simplification measures. A decree will be published on Saturday. Here are the measures in question:
- the time limit for appealing a water-related project will be reduced from 4 months to 2 months for all farmers,
- the removal of a level of jurisdiction in order to speed up all procedures in the event of appeal against agricultural projects,
- the creation of a presumption of urgency so that a judge decides on a dispute in less than ten months.
- the simplification of everything relating to cleanings, including the reduction of time, from 9 to 2 months, for a cleaning request,
- the passage of the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) under the supervision of the prefect. Objective of this major change in the way the administration works with farmers: to reduce pressure,
- establishment of exchange meetings between the government, the OFB and agricultural unions between now and the Agricultural Show, scheduled for February 24,
- single administrative control for operators, once a year maximum,
- simplification of regulations on agricultural hedges. While there were 14 regulations, there will now be only one,
- the end of the legal obligation to clear bushes,
- pausing regulations on wetlands and peatlands.
End of the increase in the tax on GNR, 50 million euros for the organic sector
The government also announced the end of the tax increase on GNR (non-road diesel). By summer, the deduction will be made immediately when the RNG is delivered to farmers. “We will pay 50% of the cash advance next month”, or 215 million euros. Initially, taxes on this fuel were to increase by three cents per year until 2030.
The Prime Minister also indicated that he wanted to “enforce EGAlim everywhere”. In particular by strengthening controls and putting maximum pressure on the negotiations. “We are going to impose three very heavy sanctions in the coming days against three companies which do not respect EGAlim”, also slipped Gabriel Attal, assuring: ” Our hand will not tremble.”
While farmers are on the front line facing climatic hazards, state emergency aid sometimes slow to arrive. The Prime Minister therefore promised an acceleration of the process. In addition, the emergency fund for Brittany will be doubled. A specific window for covering veterinary costs will also be open from February 5, 2024. “We will review the way of processing this aid,” he indicated.
Concerning the sectors of viticulture and the organic sector currently in crisis, the Prime Minister has also made several announcements. For viticulture first of all, a specific plan will be put in place to prepare for the future. As for the organic sector, 50 million euros will be released.
If Gabriel Attal defended theEuropean Unionaffirming that “leaving Europe means depriving [les agriculteurs] of nine billion euros per year”, he nevertheless conceded that “the CAP must be simplified”. And specified: “The President of the Republic will request an exemption on the question of fallow land. We will move forward on the subject of grasslands.” Concerning free trade treaties between continents, the Prime Minister also recalled that Paris “is opposed to the signing of the Mercosur treaty”.