The Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation (AAC) is sounding the alarm regarding the major risks that threaten Romanian agriculture and implicitly Romania's food security, through the new proposal of the European Commission for the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, under which our country loses 17.4 billion euros, and the national contribution to co-financing doubles.

In this context, the AAC warns that Romanian farmers risk being left without clear long-term financing, which will generate a dramatic decrease in investments, lending and even the massive sale of farms to foreign funds, according to an open letter addressed to president Nicusor Dan and Romania's representatives to the EU, in which they are asked to be 'represented with dignity and results'.

'On behalf of farmers and cooperatives in Romania, represented by the member organizations of the Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation - the National Federation PRO AGRO, the League of Agricultural Producers' Associations in Romania - LAPAR, the National Branch Union of Cooperatives in the Plant Sector - UNCSV and the Farmers' Strength Association - AFF, we sound an alarm regarding the major risks that threaten Romanian agriculture and implicitly Romania's food security. On July 16, 2025, the European Union submitted the new proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034. In this form, European agriculture is being put up against the wall: the budget allocated to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is drastically reduced, and its classic pillars, direct subsidies and investment funds, are no longer treated distinctly and predictably,' the document states.

The AAC points out that agriculture contributes 1.3% to EU GDP and received 0.40% of the EU budget in the 2021-2027 programming, and in the 2028-2034 programming it is proposed to receive 0.15%, a proposal towards which 'we express our dismay, dissatisfaction and deep concern for the reduction of the budget for subsidies and investments in food production'.

'Agriculture and rural development need to maintain the threshold of 0.4% of the budget that will be approved at the European level, to ensure quality food, at high standards, to the 450 million citizens. For Romania, the consequences are disastrous: we lose 17.4 billion euros, compared to an allocation that is correctly proportional to the increase in the EU budget; we are asked to double the national contribution to co-financing, from 15% to 30%, an unbearable burden for an already fragile agricultural sector; Romanian farmers risk being left without clear, long-term financing, which will generate a dramatic decrease in investments, lending and even the massive sale of farms to foreign funds; the convergence of subsidies promised to Romania upon accession in 2007 is once again postponed and ignored,' claim the farmers.

In this situation, farmers' organizations are asking the president and Romania's representatives to the EU 'to represent Romania's interests with dignity, responsibility and firmness'.

Romanian farmers are demanding: an increase in the agriculture and rural development budget (CAP subsidies + investments) by at least 30%, to reflect economic reality and cumulative inflation; maintaining the two pillars of the CAP: direct subsidies and development funds; allocating at least 77.6 billion euros to Romania, not just the 60.2 billion proposed; a firm position rejecting the increase in co-financing to 30%; completing external convergence starting in 2028, so that Romanian farmers benefit from subsidies equal to the European average; recognizing agriculture as an essential pillar of national and European security, on the same level as defense, enlargement and cohesion. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Oana Tilica; EN - writing by: Cristina Zaharia)