Agreement made for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). On January 1, 2023, the new reform will come into force which will bring about the strengthening of workers’ rights, more sustainable production systems, more aid for crops that are representative of “made in Italy”. “It’s done: after almost 24 hours of uninterrupted negotiations between the European Parliament, the Portuguese presidency of the Council and the Commission, we have managed to find a political agreement on the CAP reform that will accompany our farmers and all European citizens until 2027. A agreement in the name of economic, environmental and social sustainability unprecedented in the history of the CAP “says Paolo De Castro, coordinator of the S&D Group at the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament, commenting with satisfaction on the closing of a negotiation between the EU institutions, which lasted three years, all ‘anything but obvious. Thus the former minister of agriculture speaks of “mission accomplished”. “The agreement on the CAP reform allows the planning of investments in Italian farms for an expenditure of about 50 billion between now and 2027” says Ettore Prandini, president of Coldiretti. Among the measures included here is “the third pillar of agricultural policy, that social: from now on the CAP will no longer finance farmers who do not respect the rights of their employees, putting an end to unfair competition towards the vast majority of entrepreneurs who instead take proper care of the workers ”. Among other measures “15% of direct aid will be reserved for coupled support to the most representative products of Made in Italy, from tomatoes to olive growing, the strengthening of risk management measures against production or income losses which – continues De Castro – now they will be financed also through direct payments to farmers, the extension of sectoral interventions to all products ». On the sustainability front, “eco-schemes will reward up to 25% of direct payments to those farmers who implement innovative practices capable of protecting unique levels of biodiversity.” “The work we have done in recent times has yielded some results positive for the protection of transfers to businesses but we cannot be satisfied with the agreement reached – adds Massimiliano Giansanti, president of Confagricoltura -. In fact, the principle that agricultural enterprises must increase their commitments in terms of environmental sustainability, but in the face of fewer financial resources destined for the protection of incomes and the stability of the markets, has passed ”. Satisfaction from Italian Cia-Agricoltori who in a note points out: now we need a strategic plan to safeguard competitiveness.
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