The European Commission plans to present a proposal in the coming weeks that aims to reduce the administrative burden on farmers, one of the demands raised by the agricultural sector, as announced this Thursday (1st) by the president of the institution, Ursula von der Leyen.
“I am sensitive to the request to reduce the administrative burden,” Von der Leyen said at a press conference at the end of a European summit, in which she addressed many of the issues that concern farmers.
Von der Leyen explained that the Community Executive will work with Belgium, which currently holds the presidency of the EU Council, to present a proposal to reduce the sector's bureaucratic burden.
Although it was not on the agenda of the European summit, the protests of recent weeks, and in particular that experienced this Thursday in Brussels, where more than 1,300 tractors blocked the Belgian capital, finally led European authorities to address the situation of European field.
In this sense, Von der Leyen highlighted the “essential role” played by farmers.
“An essential role in European society and economy, by contributing to food security and being fundamental in ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources”, he considered.
“It is correct to say that they demonstrated resilience in the face of the crisis, but some challenges remain, such as agri-food prices, competitiveness in global markets and the fluctuation that brings uncertainty”, he indicated.
Furthermore, he recalled that the EU allocates a third of its total budget to the Common Agricultural Policy (almost 390 billion euros) and that in 2023 alone it also granted around 500 million euros in exceptional aid to help producers most affected by the crisis.
Von der Leyen also spoke about farmers' complaints regarding trade agreements with third countries, which allow the import of products that do not meet the same high standards as the EU, as would be the case with a possible pact with Mercosur.
“It is clear that legitimate interests must be defended in trade negotiations, in particular to ensure a balance”, he highlighted.
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