The European Commission wants agriculture to be firmly anchored in both rural development and competitiveness policies, Elisabeth Werner, Director-General for Agriculture and Rural Development at the European Commission, said on Thursday at the AGRI4FUTURE National Conference: Romania - Objective 2035, organized in Bucharest by the Romanian Farmers' Club.

Referring to the EU proposal for agricultural funding for 2028-2034, Werner said the Commission had adopted the budget proposal in February 2025 'in an integrated manner.'

'It is not only about agriculture; it is about the inputs farmers need and, of course, processing capacity. We want to see agriculture firmly embedded in rural policies and competitiveness policies, given that it is an extremely important sector for the economy,' she said.

According to Werner, the future agricultural policy will span several policy areas, with the key objective of creating synergies among funding instruments.

'The idea is to have the necessary reforms, investments and, of course, income support for farmers working together,' she added.

Werner said the Commission's proposal allocates EUR 16.5 billion to Romania, a figure that could be supplemented by additional funding.

'Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen has already mentioned that 10% will go to rural areas, meaning EUR 3.9 billion for Romania. There is also the possibility of programming another EUR 3.8 billion from the outset for agricultural and rural development purposes. Taken together, these three envelopes will make more funding available than was initially allocated to Romania under the Common Agricultural Policy,' she explained.

The Commission's priorities include increased support for young farmers through start-up packages combining advisory services and investment support, assistance for farmers facing climate-related and market disruptions, and dedicated funding for research and innovation in fertilizers, crop nutrients and animal health.

Romania has been allocated EUR 16.574 billion under the EU budget for 2028-2034, which will shape a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) designed to meet the needs of farmers and rural communities across the bloc.

Under the Commission's proposal for the EUR 865 billion National and Regional Partnership Fund, a minimum of EUR 300 billion is earmarked for agriculture, including EUR 293.7 billion for farmers' income support and EUR 6.3 billion for market intervention measures. Beyond this minimum allocation, member states will have access to additional funding to support rural areas and the agricultural sector.

The AGRI4FUTURE conference focuses on topics including the reform of the CAP for 2028-2034, agri-food security on the EU and NATO's Eastern Flank, farm financing, digitalization and generational renewal in agriculture. The event brings together representatives of European and national institutions, financial organizations, businesses and the agricultural sector to discuss the outlook for Romanian agriculture amid negotiations on the EU's next multiannual budget. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Cristian Anghelache; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)