The European Council will meet today to negotiate the next EU budget, for the spending period 2014-2020. The talks will in turn influence upcoming debates between Agriculture Ministers and MEPs on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy.

image expired

However, a number of environmental and anti-poverty groups have taken exception to CAP reform talks and budget proposals, which they claim have been watered down to eliminate the moderately progressive aspects put forward in earlier drafts.

Anti-poverty Organisation Oxfam called on EU heads of state to rethink budget proposals on Wednesday (22nd November), claiming current draft budgets "squeeze help for the poorest people on the planet but protect planned spending increases elsewhere."

Under the draft budget, spending on cohesion funding which aims to address the gap between richer Western European states and newer entrants in the East will be cut; despite the fact new entrants have borne the brunt of the most severe austerity measures. The EU's aid budget will also face cuts of ten percent.

Oxfam opposed the decision to deliver such hefty cuts to aid spending, while cutting the Common Agricultural Policy by only 6.5 percent. CAP delivery has been criticised as deeply flawed; the charity said "Over the last decade, CAP's biggest beneficiaries include giant corporations such as Nestle as well as large landowners including the royal family." 

The proposals have also attracted ire elsewhere. EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos slammed budget proposals published by EU president Cyprus and Council president Herman Van Rompuy; he claimed that proposed budget cuts would slash spending for smaller farmers and family farmers and remove a cap on allocations to Europe's richest farmers and landowners.

In 2009, the last year for which figures on CAP spending are available, the Queen is estimated to have received more than €8m (£6.4m) and the Prince of Wales at least €1.45m (£1.17m) in CAP support payments.

Claire Godfrey, Oxfam senior policy adviser, said, "It cannot be right that the EU is proposing to protect billions for rich farmers while failing to deliver on its pledge to provide more life-saving medicine and clean water to the world's poorest people."

Environment coalition objects to CAP direction

A coalition of environmental organisations operating across the EU has also joined in criticism of the direction budget talks are taking and their impacts on Common Agricultural Policy. The No More Blank Cheques coalition warned in a statement at the beginning of the month that "The future of European agriculture is today in the hands of a small group of MEPs and Ministers, who are being cajoled by the agro-industry lobby to fork out the bulk of future payments to intensive farmers with little environmental and long-term socio-economic return."

The coalition, which includes WWF, Birdlife International, IFOAM and the European Environmental Bureau, said, "Heads of State will meet in Brussels on the 22nd - 23rd November to agree on the future EU Budget for the 2014-2020 period and to decide how much of tax payers' money will fund agriculture. The commitment will be made without even knowing how 'green and fair' their Agriculture Ministers and the European Parliament will make the future CAP. At this stage there is a serious threat that once the financial commitment is made, any meaningful and progressive environmental measures will be stripped away, due to limited resources.

"When Heads of State sit down at the end of November they should look at what is in their citizens’ interests, which is an environment that can support sustainable farming in the long term. Our politicians should use the CAP to support farmers who want to make a real difference for future generations, rather than print blank cheques for those who do not."

In the advent of the talks Prime Minister David Cameron, who, along with allies in Sweden and Germany, wants to see deep cuts delivered to EU spending, said he would be “negotiating hard” to achieve his desired results in Brussels. However, France and the EU’s Southern and Eastern states want to increase or preserve spending, and head of state from across the EU have threatened vetoes if negotiations do not go their way over the next two days.  

Tweet