Copa-Cogeca has welcomed today the provisional agreement struck between European Parliament and European Council, which ensures that there will be no cuts in EU farm spending next year – something the group says is 'crucial' when faced with the ongoing Russian fresh produce import ban.
“It will be more important than ever in 2015 to ensure that there is sufficient money available to fund measures to alleviate the severe blow to the EU agriculture sector caused by the Russian export ban,' said Copa-Cogeca secretary general Pekka Pesonen.
'The main export market for some like Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Finnish dairy producers was shot overnight, with prices now failing to cover production costs,' he noted. 'Polish apple producers, Spanish tomato producers and Danish pigmeat producers for example are also suffering their worst lows ever. Targeted action for the worst hit areas is vital.
“There is also downward pressure on the whole European market, with a particularly difficult market situation in the EU dairy, pigmeat, fruit and vegetable, and beef sectors,' Pesonen continued. 'We need help to find new market outlets for the produce like in the emerging economies and remove sanitary barriers and other unnecessary obstacles to trade.
'The EU Commission must also pursue a vigorous export promotion campaign,' outlined. 'Extra support measures to solve these problems in the 2015 budget will be vital to prevent further losses for farmers and their cooperatives . I therefore welcome the fact that sufficient margins in the 2015 EU budget will be provided if need be to fund these measures in the political agreement that was struck between European Parliament, Council and the Commission. I look forward to them being officially approved next week.'
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