(Finance) – Theagriculture at the table European Council which took place yesterday and today in Brussels. The European leaders discussed the current challenges in the agricultural sector and the concerns expressed by farmers who took to the streets between the end of December and the end of February with their tractors to protest against European policies. The European Council therefore recognized the importance “of a resilient and sustainable agricultural sector for food security and the strategic autonomy of the Union, the value of dynamic rural communities and the essential role of the common agricultural policy in this regard”.
For these reasons, the European Council invited the Commission and the Council to continue their work, in particular with regard to all possible short- and medium-term measures and innovative solutions, including those aimed at reducing charges administrative and to make one simplification for farmers and strengthening the position of farmers in the food supply chain, in particular to ensure a income fair.
Furthermore, in the conclusions the Council invited the Brussels institutions to work on easing “the pressure financial on farmers by developing additional support arrangements” – for example the extension of the Temporary Framework for state aid –, “on the guarantees of a competition fair and rules-based at global level and in the internal market” and on “fair and balanced ways to address issues related to autonomous trade measures forUkrainewhile preparing a solution in the framework of the Association Agreement/EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.”
“Thanks to Italy, after years, we have returned to talking about agriculture within the European Council. It is the result of a process that began with the strategic document presented by Italy in the Council of Agriculture Ministers (Agrifish) of 26 February last and continued with the inclusion in the agenda of an agriculture point with a strong Italian push”, we read in a note from Building Chigi which underlines that “the conclusions of the European Council of 21-22 March which take up the basic elements of document Italian shared with Italian trade organisations, mark the recognition in Europe of the strategic role of agriculture”. In particular, Palazzo Chigi highlights that the need to discuss measures to ease the pressure financial on farmers by building additional support tools was recognized upon specific Italian request
Palazzo Chigi finally recalled that the definition and implementation of measures agreed between the Leaders will be on the agenda of the next Agriculture and Fisheries Council March 26.