Farmers protest against CAP strategic plan

Gornja Radgona – Several organisations of farmers staged a protest on Wednesday against solutions contained in the draft national strategic plan for the implementation of the EU’s common agricultural policy, which involves a shift from direct payments to farmers towards the financing of rural development policy.

Featuring 60 tractors driving around Gornja Radgona, where the country’s largest agriculture fair is currently under way, the protest was organised by the Trade Union of Farmers with the support of the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry, the Cooperatives’ Union and several agricultural NGOs.

The target was the national strategic plan for 2023-2027 whose centrepiece is the transfer of EUR 150 million in payments from the first to the second pillar of the common agriculture policy in line with commitments agreed at the EU level.

Anton Medved, the head of the Trade Union of Farmers, said the farmers were opposed to the transfer of funds and insist that Slovenian agriculture must be based on sustainable family farms that provide social, environmental and economic security to the farmers and their families.

One of the farmers’ demands is that the Agriculture Ministry offset the transfer with an additional EUR 150 million in national funds for agriculture.

Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek said he understood the farmers’ proposals and said the final solutions would not be political, they would be based on indicators and calculations. “It is very important that we find common solutions … if necessary we will negotiate until the last minute.”

At a subsequent debate, Podgoršek noted that the government had already pledged an extra EUR 100 million for farm payments, which largely addressed farmers’ concerns.

Under the original proposal, farmers would be entitled to EUR 1.2 billion in EU funds in 2023-2027 and EUR 250 million in budgetary funds. With the additional EUR 100 million, the state’s share will rise to EUR 350 million and the first pillar will remain unchanged.

The strategic plan was the subject of an extensive public consultation with stakeholders until 15 August. Their remarks will be presented today at a session of the Agriculture Council, an advisory body.

Another public debate is scheduled in autumn and the government is expected to confirm the document in December to catch the end-of-year deadline for submission to the European Commission.

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