EU's CAP and Cohesion policy plans met with criticism by Agriculture Minister Barbu
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must remain separate from Cohesion funding in the 2027-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework, and France and Germany have joined Romania's approaches in this regard, Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu announced on Thursday.
He said that he rejects the European Commission's proposal, having made it clear in the Agrifish Council meeting that the Common Agricultural Policy should remain separate from the Cohesion funds. 'Of course, I had discussions with my French and German counterparts, who joined Romania's approach to keep the agricultural policy separate, with the two pillars - EAGF and EAFRD. I say that things will not remain like this and I had a discussion including with the COPA-COGECA associative forms. I also informed the President of Romania, Mr. Nicusor Dan about this. I know that this was a debate during the electoral campaign and it was broadly agreed that agriculture must remain distinct from Cohesion funds,' specified Florin Barbu after the discussions with vegetable growers in Lunguletu, Dambovita County.
He also explained the reason why the CAP and the Cohesion policy should be kept separate: 'In the overall package there are certain milestones and targets to be met, (...) but I'm opposed to mixing agriculture with milestones and targets and I will not vote in the Agrifish Council until the Common Agricultural Policy is separated from the Cohesion funds.'
He took issue with plans to cap the area-based farming support, and underscored that subsidies and investments in agriculture cannot be linked to milestones.
'I believe that this may affect the settlement and the Romanian state may lose billions of euros from the European Commission, because we know what happens when you fall short of a milestone: the European Union does not disburse the respective installment. This means that the EU money that was supposed to come to Romanian farmers may no longer flow in and then we must compensate this from the state budget. With the current budget deficit, I don't think that Romania can afford such a budget,' added the Agriculture minister.
Barbu said that he is also dissatisfied with the increase of the co-financing rate from 15% to 30% on all funds, including Cohesion and agriculture funding, and emphasized that he wants the two pillars, EAGF and EAFRD, to be kept in place.
He explained that the president of Romania has a major say, through his decisive vote on these matters in the European Council. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Mariana Nica; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)
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