Beyond semantic issues on rearmament and arms investments, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planashas stated on Monday that military spending should not minimize efforts in other essential areas such as food. … Thus, with a very forceful statement, he said that «It’s not about choosing between cannons or butter».
The center of the political debate in recent weeks has been around the need to expand investment in military matters to deal with the challenges of the future, mainly in Ukraine. This situation has raised ampoules – as usual is usually common – among the executive members. Although this Monday has been a government member who has put on alert about the situation, especially if money is retracted from other items.
Thus, as each one defends theirs, Minister Planas has asked this Monday in Brussels that The need to increase the defense expenditure facing the European Union (EU) does not give the financing of common agricultural policy (PAC).
This has been indicated by Planas upon his arrival at the meeting of EU Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries held in the Belgian capital and in which the twenty -seven will address the battery of measures framed in the ‘Vision of Agriculture and Food’ that the European Commission presented in February.
Although, for obvious reasons – and pressure on the part of the USA, the military issue has gained weight in the last political debates, the minister knows that he can press because in food matters there are also many open fronts.
Therefore, Planas has stressed that his support for this strategy that responds to the requests of European farmers and that the government considers “globally positive”, although it has clarified that this roadmap “only makes sense” if it is accompanied by a commission proposal with a PAC beyond 2027 – when the current one expires – “endowed with own personality and a good financial endowment.”
“Here it is not about choosing between cannons or butter, it is about strengthening the defense and security of Europe, our autonomy in energy and our food security, which is not guaranteed,” said Planas.
In this sense, He has warned of the “numerous risks” faced by the agricultural sectoralso derived from obstacles such as the decrease in fertilizers as “basic element” for production.
On the other hand, he has indicated that the Government will urge the Community Executive to present “as soon as possible” its proposals in relation to the prohibition of selling agricultural products below the cost of production, as also stated in the document on the ‘vision of agriculture’.
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