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Benoît Biteau: "This CAP is worse than the previous one for the climate, biodiversity and farmers"

2020-10-21T12:46:26.610Z


INTERVIEW - The MEP, whose environmental group does not support the agricultural policy project on which the 27 have agreed, says he regrets a lack of ambition for the Union's first budget item.


The contours of the Cap are becoming clearer.

While the agriculture ministers of the 27 have reached an agreement, the project is being discussed in the European Parliament.

MEPs vote on the text this week, which relates to a budget already set at 387 billion euros, the Union's first item.

It will come into force in January 2023 for a period of 7 years.

Technical and complex, the CAP is essential for citizens since it is it which must offer consumers healthy, safe and quality food, ensure the continent's food sovereignty, allow farmers to make a decent living from their profession but also participate in the fight against global warming and the decline in biodiversity.

If the German Minister Julia Klöckner is delighted with an agreement with a "

good balance

" responding to "the

aspirations of a greener, more just and simplified CAP

", the MEP Benoît Biteau, member of the Green Group, who does not support not the project and tabled a rejection amendment, believes that the text confirms "

a step back in environmental matters

".

LE FIGARO.

- Agriculture ministers are delighted to have opted for "

greening European agriculture

".

Do you share this enthusiasm?

Benoît BITEAU.

-

As it stands, the CAP is worse than the previous one for the climate, biodiversity and farmers.

This is the “Rika Zaraï method”: saying that everything is fine when everything is wrong!

I am a farmer and, in fact, we are on a less ambitious CAP in terms of the environment.

It's scandalous !

I don't know how we will be able to look at future generations and tell them that we are continuing as before when we know that these practices contribute to the collapse of biodiversity, global warming and the despair of the peasant world.

There is a sovereignty problem, but we are doing as before.

There are droughts or difficulties in accessing water, but we continue to not put solutions in place.

Whereas agriculture is a real lever for action.

However, the text provides for the establishment of eco-regimes which aim to encourage virtuous practices ...

It's just communication!

The potential specifications are too weak.

It will simply validate current practices.

There is a step back in terms of the environment.

The budgetary arbitration was done to the detriment of organic farming since the decrease in funds will relate mainly to the second pillar, and it is in particular this aspect that makes it possible to support organic farming.

In 2019, one in three farmers lives on less than 350 euros per month and one in five does not have an income.

So there is a problem with this policy which uses public money to infuse a destructive system for the climate, biodiversity and agriculture.

The CAP represents more than a third of the total budget of the European Union, it is a lot of public money.

However, it is the agroecological model that gets the farmers out of their difficulties, it is a model that is economically relevant.

But we will continue with destructive economic and ecological situations.

This project also does not contain the ingredients of food sovereignty, which is nevertheless essential in this period of health crisis.

On the other hand, it supports the model of exporting agriculture.

What do you propose ?

We voted for an amendment rejecting this PAC project which received 23.5% of the votes, beyond our group in Parliament, but that is not enough.

We propose to review the mode of allocation of CAP aid.

Today the subsidies are paid according to the cultivated areas.

This results in real agricultural cannibalism with 80% of CAP aid received by only 20% of farmers.

These aids should be calculated in labor units.

This would be a way of redistributing land and it would allow a real policy of employment and installation of farmers to be implemented (The agricultural population has been divided by more than two over the past 30 years and succession is not guaranteed: The average age of farmers is 52 and the profession attracts little, editor's note).

This change in the mode of allocation of subsidies would favor agroecological practices which require more labor.

It would also simplify subsidy payments.

This measure is part of the proposals of the Citizens' Convention.

Emmanuel Macron had he not committed to supporting her?

Yes, but that's not what the minister is doing.

The minister is the ventriloquist of the FNSEA.

The neonicotinoid episode is revealing: convictions weigh little against lobbies.

Your proposal seems impossible to pass ...

There are reasons to be desperate, well not me, I continue to act, to defend my convictions.

I am a fighter!

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-10-21

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