EU Agriculture Ministers discussed the issue paper on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2020 prepared by the Dutch EU Presidency at an informal meeting on 31 May.

At the event in Amsterdam, Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas stressed that Hungary has an interest in maintaining a strong CAP with two strong pillars. During the planning process it must be taken into account that Hungary only became a full member of EU agriculture policy in 2013, the year in which it actually received the level of direct funding on which the CAP is based for the very first time.

“At the meeting, Hungary did not support Dutch EU Presidency’s idea relating to the possible establishment of a joint agriculture and food policy. The radical restructuring of the system would cause immeasurable damage to an already very vulnerable sector that is exposed to price fluctuation”, the Minister said.

In his speech, Mr. Fazekas informed his colleagues that Hungary would be insisting on the fact that the financial resources available to agriculture from the EU budget during the next programming period must remain at least at the same level as during the current, 2014-2020 period. The level of available resources for direct payments and the system for production-liked funding must also remain unchanged. Funding the fight against climate change, innovation or research and development are all important, but must not be realised at the expense of direct aid. The introduction of any kind of new measure can only occur if the new funding required for their realisation is also made available.

According to the Hungarian Minister of Agriculture, the agrarian market crisis currently affecting the European Union has made it clear that sudden and drastic changes only lead to market turmoil. Hungary expects Brussels to perform detailed impact studies and market analyses before introducing any reform measures, and to be ready for the rapid and flexible handling of crisis situations.

The Council recommendations that will form the basis of the Common Agricultural Policy following 2020 are expected to be issues in autumn 2017.

(Ministry of Agriculture)