Brussels – Slovakia is calling for greater consideration regarding the capping and direct payments in the forthcoming common agricultural policy of the EU. This was emphasized on Monday during the EU Council meeting on agriculture and fisheries in Brussels by the State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Agriculture, Vladimír Vnuk, as reported by TASR.
Vladimír Vnuk mentioned that the recent Council of Ministers for agricultural policy under the Danish presidency concentrated on the common agricultural policy after 2027 and the import of agricultural products from abroad. He pointed out that member states are dissatisfied with the European Commission’s (EC) proposal for the long-term budget post-2027, as each nation has specific concerns in various areas.
“We appreciate that support in the future common agricultural policy is aimed, but our primary worry is about capping and the degressivity of direct payments,” he stated. According to the European Commission, this situation will not impact 96% of European farms; however, from Slovakia’s standpoint, the remaining 4% is critical due to the historical structure of Slovak agriculture, which includes a significant number of large farms that oversee up to 80% of agricultural land.
The State Secretary affirmed that Slovakia proposes that the measures concerning capping and the reduction of direct payments should be considered voluntary rather than obligatory.
Under pressure from the European Parliament, the Commission offered certain concessions to farmers and regions; nevertheless, Vnuk noted that governments need to analyze this proposal, and initial feedback indicates that the EC’s concessions are inadequate and do not fulfill farmers’ needs.
Discussions on agricultural commodity trade primarily focused on trade with Ukraine on Monday, with additional mentions of agreements with the Mercosur group and other nations, Vnuk disclosed.
“The Commission urged us to share our perspectives on trade with Ukraine. We remain steadfast in our position. We demand the creation of a special fund for member states bordering Ukraine and the maintenance of production standards, such as those upheld by EU farmers, to safeguard their competitiveness. Farmers from third countries have lower input costs compared to EU farmers, which we believe threatens the EU’s competitiveness,” he explained.
A special initiative introduced on Monday by Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Croatia (with the possibility of other countries joining) calls on the European Commission to allocate financial resources for aquaculture from the common fisheries policy, as part of the large package of national and regional plans. “Since Slovakia is not a coastal nation, we aim to support fishponds and activities related to fish farming in freshwater environments in Slovakia,” Vnuk stated. (November 17)
“Slovakia is most concerned about capping and the degressivity of direct payments.” Vladimír Vnuk
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