Von der Leyen urged to overhaul CAP in reform of EU food policy
Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has been urged to open a new chapter in EU food policy and overhaul the current CAP system in the process following recommendations of a reflection group.
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00:00After months of intense demonstrations by farmers this past winter and spring,
00:06changes could be on the horizon for Europe's agricultural sector.
00:10The European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen,
00:13has just published its strategic dialogue with key stakeholders on the future of farming,
00:18with ideas like shifting how EU funds are allocated to farmers by need rather than by size.
00:24The discussion, spearheaded earlier this year,
00:26is seen as essential in bridging the highly polarised debate
00:29surrounding the Common Agricultural Policy, or CAP.
00:32The CAP, which accounts for one third of the EU's budget, is now under review.
00:38The recommendation is to make the CAP fit for purpose,
00:43and this means on the one side enabling for lively rural areas.
00:51This means, in the second function, income support.
00:57But as the CAP is public money, this income support should be targeted,
01:03much more targeted, to those who actually need this support.
01:10These suggestions are expected to form the basis
01:13for the European Commission's new agriculture and food proposal,
01:17which is set to be released by early 2025.
01:20Environmental groups like Greenpeace have cautiously welcomed the discussions,
01:24calling it a step towards sustainability.
01:27Clearly, if I had to write this, I would write it very differently.
01:32But I accept it, again, as a consensus,
01:35after seven months of very hard work and very tough negotiations.
01:38So I'm extremely happy to see, for instance,
01:41all these group of stakeholders accepting the fact
01:44that we need to address the negative impacts of livestock farming,
01:48not at the expenses of farmers.
01:50We need to help farmers in the transition,
01:53but it's clear that we all agree we need to tackle the problem of livestock
01:58in the areas with very high livestock concentration.
02:02One key issue raised during last spring's protests
02:06was funding the transition to a more sustainable agricultural system.
02:10Farmers, through their main association, COPA COGECA,
02:13were involved in the talks.
02:36The text also calls on the European Commission
02:39to ensure greater coherence between its trade and sustainability policies.
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