The European Commission’s proposals for an increased EU budget than previously planned to the tune of €750 billion, to take account of the impact of Covid-19, has been welcomed by European young farmers’s association CEJA.
Following proposals yesterday, Wednesday, May 27, for a Recovery Fund and revamped long-term budget, CEJA says it “stands together with the commission and the parliament to step up the ambition of our union”.
The farmer representative body said the additional budgetary capacity proposed “demonstrates the willingness of the EU’s executive to move forward”, taking measure of the Covid-19 lessons and “granting much more predictability for the next generations of EU citizens”.
Commenting, CEJA president Jannes Maes said: “It is essential member states are fully supportive of the plan put forward by the commission.
The EU budget must reflect the level of ambition we are having on our farms when it comes to producing food, providing public goods and acting for our environment and climate.
Highlighting that the agricultural sector has been severely impacted by the crisis and such signal is highly needed to regain trust and confidence in the future, Maes added:
“Therefore, as young farmers, we welcome the additional €15 billion proposed for agriculture and rural areas as a step in the right direction.”
Calling in particular, for the funding to allow for further investment in support schemes targeted at young farmers, the CEJA president said:
However, we stand with the European Parliament in its call on member states to show even more ambition for the Common Agriculture Policy [CAP].
“For young farmers, the budgetary allocations in the 2021-2027 MFF [Multiannual Financial Framework] are going to define the years and decades to come.
“CEJA will remain vocal in the next weeks to guarantee this first step in the right direction is going forward,” Maes concluded.