The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, boasted that the proposals of the report “Strategic Dialogue on the Future of European Agriculture”, carried out by various experts in the field and commissioned by the President of the European Commission, Úrsula von der Leyen, which brings together recommendations on how to reform the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2028-2035, are already being implemented in Spain through the CAP National Strategic Plan, while calling for the implementation of agricultural insurance at the national level. .European.
“The document published this week says exactly what we did in the Spanish Strategic Plan approved in 2021”said the owner, then explained that direct aid is already distributed in Spain taking into account the income level of farmers rather than the area of the land.
In this sense, the minister indicated that CAP funds in Spain are already allocated with emphasis on the viability of the activity of the beneficiary farmers, “and in Europe, this will be the case in the future; the small and medium-sized farms that receive the aid, because they are the ones who need this supplement to achieve high profitability,” Planas said.
The head of Agriculture was therefore “satisfied” with the impact of the CAP. in Spain, considering that it was “very positive for the primary sector”. “We have also obtained measures such as the maximum ceiling of aid per declarant or support for small and medium-sized farmers, which has been a success,” he commented on this subject.
“There is a good application of the current CAPbut we must start a dialogue so that, looking to the future, and from 2027, we also have an interesting application model,” said the head of the Department.
On the other hand, regarding agricultural insurance, Planas stressed that in Spain it must be “strengthened”, while calling for this measure to be applied at European level, since Spanish law “This represents an excellent model and the best response of the European Union to the climate crisis to ensure the future of rural areas.”
Good agri-food operation
Likewise, Planas did not want to miss the opportunity to congratulate himself on the “good” functioning of the Spanish agri-food system. “I would allow myself to say that even very well”he stressed, also emphasizing its “high quality.”
So, at the gates of this new agronomic year, which officially begins on September 29Planas recalled how the ministry’s policies are linked to the EU.
“More than 90% of what we do in this Department has a direct or indirect relationship with Brussels”acknowledged and then stressed that many of the problems and concerns that Spain presents in agricultural matters are shared by the majority of European partners.
“It’s not a Spanish question, it’s a European question”stressed the head of the Agriculture portfolio, which is reflected in the fact that, for example, “the President of the Commission herself has committed, in the first 100 days of this legislature, to present a document on the vision of food and agriculture for the future”.
Thus, the minister acknowledged that “all this reflects a common concern about the future of food and agriculture in Spain and Europe”, regarding what Spain must “contribute” because it is a leader in agri-food productionbeing the fourth largest exporting country in the EU and the seventh in the world. “Logically, he has something to say, he carries ideas that, I think, benefit the food chain,” he reiterated.
Similarly, the minister stressed the need to promote sustainable productionwithout forgetting that “for something to be sustainable, it must be profitable.”
43 measures for the field
In this regard, Planas put forward the 43 measures for the Spanish campaign which were “effective and interesting” For the sector, more than two thirds are already either completed or in the process of being completed, so by the end of the year “they will be executed”.
Some measures have been signed by the Unión de Uniones and the UPA, while Asaja and COAG have not signed them. At this point, he stressed that has always “listened to all interlocutors”“, stressing “the importance of dialogue”.
On the other hand, Planas described “extremely important” the call for the second Agri-food lossendowed with 100 million euros and which will be open from September 19 to October 21, after the first call was covered with nearly 186 million in 250 projects.
“This Agro-Food Loss is extremely important and in this second call We wanted to expand the possibilities and relax some conditions. presentation of projects to reach a greater number of beneficiaries and for a good use of funds,” he told Europa Press.
Planas thus recalled that the “digitization and sustainability” These are the two central elements of this plan, which is part of everything the Spanish agri-food industry does, which “is extremely positive.”
Regarding the Loss of the canning industryIn the report published this week, the head of Fisheries welcomed its implementation as a “personal commitment” he made with the fisheries processing sector.
“There were legal issues that took almost a year to resolve.“We launched this Perte with an initial allocation of 20 million, but it is an expandable amount,” he said.
A plan that has already received “positive” reactions from the fishing sector, which is why Planas is confident that all the funds, which will be “very important” to promote the national canning sector.
Advocating for consensus
In anticipation of the last months of the year and the legislature, Planas stressed that the National Food Strategy will play a “fundamental role”because he hopes it will become “a pillar for Spain and Europe.”
The Ministry’s “road map” provides that Food Loss and Waste Prevention Actas well as the launch of the Family Farming Act early next year, in addition to the Fisheries Inspection and Control Act, which is currently undergoing public consultation and which it hopes to present to the Council of Ministers at the end of the year or early 2025.
Likewise, Planas reiterated once again the importance of dialogue and consensus in a context context marked by “political noise”.
“This ministry will always listen and, obviously, in relation, whatever the political colour, with all the autonomous communities, the ministries of agriculture, livestock and fisheries.
I hope that beyond the political noise we can reach, as we have done in the past, “concrete agreements that allow us to do positive work for the future”he stressed.
In the same spirit, the head of Agriculture did not hesitate to emphasize the importance that the betting on generational changeas well as for gender equality, with greater integration of women in the agricultural sector in order to guarantee the future of the Spanish countryside.
