While Emmanuel Macron is at the European Council in Brussels this Thursday where the subject of the agricultural crisis is obviously at the heart of the discussions, Gabriel Attal made new announcements for farmers this Thursday February 1 from Matignon. While the first guarantees were given by the European Commission yesterday on fallow land and Ukrainian imports, the Prime Minister unveiled new measures to try to calm the mobilization, which still does not weaken.
Gabriel Attal had received the main agricultural unions – FNSEA, Peasant Confederation, Rural Coordination – in order to discuss their demands, while his first announcements last Friday were far from having convinced the majority of the agricultural world. Objective of “food sovereignty”, 150 million euros in aid to breeders, strengthening of the Egalim law… A look back at the new provisions promised by the Prime Minister, accompanied by the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, the Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau and the Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu.
“Better recognition of the profession of farmer”
In order to better recognize the profession of farmer, the Prime Minister announced “four concrete actions”. We first find the inclusion of “the objective of food sovereignty in the law” as well as an “annual report on food sovereignty, the first of which before the Agricultural Show”.
Gabriel Attal also announced that a “proposed law on neighborhood disturbances” would be included on the Senate agenda “as soon as possible”, in order to protect “farmers against the abusive recourses of new neighbors who see the “agriculture as a nuisance and not as an opportunity”. Finally, the Prime Minister announced “a sovereignty plan in each sector that needs it, particularly in livestock farming”, in order to “strengthen our agriculture sector by sector”.
150 million euros in aid for breeders
The State will dedicate 150 million euros “from this year and in the long term” to relieve the tax and social burden of breeders “who need specific support”, promised Gabriel Attal.
“Our breeders need specific support. This is why […] we will devote 150 million euros to them in fiscal and social support starting this year and on a long-term basis. Working with the sector will make it possible to specify the modalities,” declared the head of government during his press conference.
Strengthen the Egalim law
“We will strengthen the Egalim law” to protect farmers’ remuneration, promised the Prime Minister. “The income of our farmers is the dignity of our farmers,” he said. The first two laws known as Egalim 1 and 2, adopted in 2018 and 2021, aimed to prevent producers from bearing the brunt of the fierce price war between supermarkets on the one hand, and distributors and suppliers of the agro-industry on the one hand. ‘somewhere else.
An exception to the rules on meadows
Gabriel Attal is committed to relaxing the rules requiring farmers to maintain grassland areas by applying “an exemption from the relocation obligation for one year”, he indicated.
“We must get back around the table to better protect our meadows, which are essential to our landscapes and the fight against climate change, while getting out of totally absurd situations where farmers are forced to reestablish meadows even though they have stopped their breeding activity”, justified Gabriel Attal.
Massive controls on manufacturers and supermarkets
“All the largest supermarket chains” will be controlled in the coming days on compliance with the Egalim law which aims to protect farmers’ remuneration, announced Bruno Le Maire. No contract between distributors and manufacturers, including distributor brands, “will escape the control of the repression of fraud”, declared the Minister of the Economy.
Furthermore, he announced “10,000 checks on the French origin of products” with sanctions which could “reach 10% of the turnover of manufacturers or distributors who have committed fraud”.
A “clear” definition of synthetic meat at European level
The French government will work for the European Union to define “what synthetic meat is”, which does not “correspond to our conception of French food”, announced Gabriel Attal. “Synthetic meat does not correspond to our conception of French food. I therefore hope that we have clear legislation at European level on the name of what synthetic meat is,” declared the Prime Minister.
At the same time, the head of government announced that the European Union was going to “massively promote labeling of the origin of products”, “an issue of transparency for consumers and an issue of justice and truth for farmers “.
A negotiation on Ukrainian grains
While Emmanuel Macron participates in the European Council in Brussels this Thursday, Gabriel Attal asked that the question of limiting Ukrainian grain imports into the European Union be included in a negotiation.
“On Ukraine, I said, we are moving forward with the creation of safeguard clauses, particularly on poultry. We will have to address the issue of cereals in the framework of the negotiations which are opening,” declared the Prime Minister. The EU has not included cereals in the “sensitive” products (now poultry, eggs and sugar) on which imports can be limited.
Limit exports of fruits and vegetables treated with the pesticide thiacloprid
Gabriel Attal indicated that he would take “without delay” a “safeguard clause” to prevent the importation into France of fruits and vegetables treated with the pesticide thiacloprid, a product banned in Europe.
According to him, this decision represents an example of a “safeguard clause” or “mirror measure” – a mechanism which requires imported products to respect the same rules as those imposed on European farmers -, which France can take to avoid “competition unfair”, one of the main fights that Gabriel Attal announced he wanted to lead for farmers.