Minister for Agriculture Armands Krauze: “The European Commission’s proposal is an unacceptable impediment to rural development”

On Monday, September 22nd, at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels (Belgium), agriculture ministers of EU member states held discussions on the European Commission's (EC) planned EU funding model for the 2028-2034 financial period. The EC's planned funding model for the next budget period foresees an overall reduction of support for agriculture in EU member states by 23% and for fisheries by 62%.

Specifically for Latvia, total support in 2028-2034 would decrease by a quarter, but for fisheries - by two-thirds, according to the EC's proposal. Such a reduction threatens not only the development of these sectors in Latvia but also their resilience and even national security in the current geopolitical situation.

Minister for Agriculture Armands Krauze: "We have already clearly stated that the Common Agricultural Policy must remain a separate and independent policy with dedicated and adequate funding. The same applies to the Common Fisheries Policy. We do not support the inclusion of agriculture and fisheries policies in a single plan, and we strongly object to the proposed reduction in support funds. This is an unacceptable impediment to rural development, which does not provide for income support equalization or additional assistance for the eastern border regions, nor for the development of coastal and fishing communities."

Almost all EU member states' agriculture and fisheries ministers also expressed critical views on the EC's proposals, pointing out that the introduction of a new administratively burdensome model would increase the administrative load and costs for member states and delay implementation. In the current period, a significant reform of the policy has already been carried out, with substantial investment in management and IT systems to adapt to current requirements, which in the future would once again change and require new investments.

The minister is convinced that it is necessary to achieve an increase or at least the preservation of funding for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) at the current level, and that both policies must continue to remain separate strategic policies.

The EC has decided that from 2028 it will change the EU member state funding model by creating a single National and Regional Partnership (NRP) plan and fund, which, as separate sections - alongside regional cohesion, social, migration, border management, and internal security policies - would also include CAP and CFP with corresponding funding. In the current period, CAP and CFP and their respective funds exist as two separate EU policies.