The Minister of Agriculture, Fishing and Food, Luis Flat, is still far from close a uniform agreement with the Autonomous Communities to present a joint strategic and uniform plan from Spain to Brussels for the next period of Common Agricultural Policy (PAC
) 2023-2027.
This document theoretically must be agreed, although the last word has the Government of Spain, which must send to the Commission Europe the document for final approval before 31 December this year.
The CAP will be equipped in the coming years of about 390,000 million euros of the European global budget, of which 47,724 will go to 695,000 farmers and farmers in Spain, approximately 10% less, according to agrarian organizations, which in the previous stage
.
And, at least, 40% of these items will be destined for environmental policies, which forces a structural change in the productive model of the Spanish field.
The Sectoral Conference for Agriculture and Rural Development held this Thursday – in videoconferencing format, despite the positive evolution of the pandemic and the importance of the subject – far from joining positions has returned to evidence the serious differences between most of the
Autonomous Communities and the Agriculture Holder.
And not only for political reasons because a clear example is Aragon (where the PSOE governs), which is manifested at this time against the Agreement.
The flat itself advanced in July in the previous meeting (when the incidence of the COVID-19 was much higher but then the meeting was face-to-face) that was convinced that in October it would be close to closing the final agreement.
Without
However, the result can be described as a failure in the fundamental aspects of divergence: ecoeskemas, that is, the new ‘green’ design posed by the Ministry of Agriculture, which has this time a good part of the responsibility to define how aid will be
In the coming year to the Spanish countryside since Brussels has granted a great decision-making power to the countries.
And in those plans, farmers start reluctance to economic losses by having to face demanding environmental practices.
In fact, last week, the Andalusian countryside, unanimously, led to the street in Seville to protest against the new Green PAC and by the productive regions designed by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Only in Andalusia, encrypt the losses of the CAP in more than 180 million euros per year for farmers and farmers.
And they are not the only ones.
There are protests and mobilizations in almost all regions.
Ecoeskemas represent a novel figure in the CAP and suppose nothing more and nothing less than 23% of total aids to farmers and farmers, specifically 1,107 million euros per year, who will stop perceive if they do not undertake environmental requirements in their
Productions.
Specifically, the Ministry has elaborated seven environmental practices, which include permanent and pasture pastures that are contemplated as extensive grazing and sustainable mowing or leave untouched margins.
For cultivation lands you can opt for rotation, conservation agriculture and direct sowing, or reserve non-productive surfaces and landscape elements.
In permanent crops, the maintenance of spontaneous, sown or inert plant covers is contemplated, leaving the crushed remains of pruning on the ground.
These and other similar practices would have the year 2023 as a pilot experience to apply and the extent officially one year later.
Meanwhile, the regionalization model (types of sowing in the productions) would pass from the current 50 to 20. To advance the uniformity of the aid within the same region of payment is set a convergence of 85% in the year 2026 and the
100% in 2029.
The background differences to achieve an agreement do not have to do with the political color of each autonomous community.
An example of this is Aragon, in the hands of the PSOE.
Its counselor of agriculture, livestock and the environment, Joaquín Olona, showed at the end of the “Virtual” meeting his “total disagreement” and described as “insufficient” the agarian family and professional model posed by the ministry.
Olona has considered that “perceptors will continue to be charged that do not carry out any agrarian activity, while young people who join will have difficulty accessing the payment”, something that makes territorial differences “do not end up resolving”.
It is true that plans already warned on July 14 that there could be no paci models for the 17 autonomous communities, but it is clear that the differences for a document that at least collects a common spirit is still far from closing.
Flat, which at first time had announced the distribution of more than 145 million euros for rural development and digitalization measures to be distributed among the communities – with the purpose of placing the spirits – subsequently to the meeting could only be announced that the government will submit said
Strategic Plan of the CAP to public consultation at the end of November “within the framework of the environmental assessment procedure”.
That was the only holder who could ‘sell’ from the meeting.
The Ministry recognizes that the definition of ecoeskemas remains pending, although it qualifies that “the group of matters is already closed”, especially in relation to direct aids (first pillar) because also fail to be agreed by the design of the actions of
Rural development – the second pillar.
Nine autonomies have already sent their proposals and the ministry has opened the deadline to the rest until next week so that the rest contributes their elements to the plan.
Since the summer, and in meetings with the presence of technicians and second-level positions, eleven general and thematic joint meetings have been held, but concrete agreements with most communities have not been reached.
And the clock is still running the way of the year-end bells …
