EU citizens have elected a new parliament and have voted against ‘business as usual’. This election has shown that politics must finally be for and with citizens. In agriculture, as well, political strategies must be developed together with the people who work and operate in the sector. Farmers have felt left behind, and socially and economically marginalised for many years.  

Even before the elections, the farmer protests in recent months have shown that they are an important pillar of the EU that must not be ignored. When new strategies are developed, the living and working conditions of farmers must be carefully considered and included. Fair prices and fair incomes are THE fundamental pre-conditions for the sector. Fairness and profitability are the only way for farmers to produce stably and sufficiently, and the only way to guarantee that they will not be socially and economically marginalised even further.

The task of the Parliament and the Commission: create a new vital agricultural and trade policy

As the representative of milk producers in Europe, the European Milk Board asbl will continue to ensure that important information, input and demands from the sector are channelled to political decision-makers. In order to create stability and fairness in agriculture, the new Parliament and a new Commission have a very important task: They must create a new and vital agricultural and trade policy. Among other things, this policy must focus on:

• Establishing an appropriate market framework in the agricultural sector. This includes, for example:
  • An automatically activated crisis instrument such as voluntary volume reduction (see Market Responsibility Programme model)
  • Efficient EU contract clauses, no exception for cooperatives
  • EU legislation that requires producer prices to be above production costs (full costs including adequate income)
  • Mirror clauses for imports 

• Generating an adequate income on the market instead of chronic deficits and dependence on subsidies - see Fair Milk as a role model
• Stable internal production rather than blind export orientation 
• Excluding agriculture from free trade agreements

A policy focussing on the above points will enable us to make progress in agriculture and finally create stability and prospects for all producers – including those from the younger generation. The new Parliament, a new Commission and the Member States have a great responsibility with regard to this new and vital policy, and should implement important reforms together with people from the agricultural sector in the coming years. After all, the European Union needs producers and a healthy agricultural sector. 



 

Contacts:

Kjartan Poulsen – President of EMB (EN, DK, DE): +45 (0)212 888 99
Silvia Däberitz – Director of EMB (FR, DE, EN): +49 (0)176 380 98 500