European agricultural support has to go to the hard-working farmer

The European Commission has put plans on the table that will allow Member States more freedom in deciding their own agricultural policy. A good thing if we want farmers in all European regions to earn a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work, in the N-VA’s opinion. The N-VA also applauds the fact that Europe is promoting innovation and greening, while at the same time planning to impose fewer micro-detailed rules from above.

The N-VA does, however, believe that an in-depth dialogue should still take place regarding how and where European agricultural funds are spent. Currently, some 80% of the agricultural support goes to 20% of farmers, and large landowners, local politicians and nonsense projects too have their hands in the large pot. That has to change.

Each year, agricultural subsidies account for a chunk of the European budget of no less than 60 billion euros. The plans that are on the table today are already a step in the right direction towards spending that amount more efficiently. Yet the best solution of all would be to hive off a large part of the agricultural policy to the Member States and regions as that is the only guarantee that the European support will end up where it has to: with the hard-working farmer.