EU farmers protest over budget cuts
Hundreds of European farmers protested in Brussels, demanding increased funding for agriculture as the European Union unveiled its budget proposal for 2028-2034. The farmers, chanting slogans like "No budget, no CAP, no farmers, no security," expressed their concerns by dumping their boots in front of the European Commission building. Their anxiety stems from fears of reduced subsidies under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) due to the proposed budget, which prioritizes tripling funding for migration and border management and doubling the Horizon research fund, while allocating 35% for climate and biodiversity initiatives.
The draft budget allocates approximately €300 billion to agriculture but merges rural development funds with broader regional subsidies, alarming farming groups. Organizations like Copa-Cogeca argue that this consolidation undermines rural communities, food security, and stability, threatening protests and tractor blockades across Europe. Ministers from at least 14 EU countries, including Portugal, Italy, and Poland, have voiced their support for farmers, opposing any plans to merge agricultural and cohesion funding.
In response to the farmers' concerns, the European Commission has agreed to "ring-fence" direct income support amounting to €291 billion. However, rural development funding remains at risk of cuts between 15% and 25% due to the overall budget reshuffling. Farmers are advocating for a stronger, independent CAP budget that is inflation-adjusted and separated from other funds to ensure the sustainability of rural livelihoods and maintain Europe’s food sovereignty. The agreement on the new EU budget requires approval from all 27 member countries and the European Parliament.
