Luis Planas: Spain defends a CAP with its own personality and sufficient financial resources

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, attends the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers of the European Union in Brussels

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, stressed in Brussels that the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must have its own personality, from a legal and institutional point of view, and sufficient financial resources to meet the challenges that lie ahead. "It is essential to defend our food security," he said.

Planas described today's debate in the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers of the European Union (EU) on the European Commission's Vision for Agriculture and Food as "key to the future of the agri-food sector that we want in the EU".

"At the moment there is an immediate need to boost defence and ensure energy sovereignty, but there is also an urgent need to guarantee food security, which also requires financial support," Planas said.

The Vision, the minister pointed out, is "overall a very positive communication, which has Spain's support", but it will only make sense if it is accompanied by a clear defence of the CAP, which should regain its central role in community policies and be adequately funded, he stressed.

The minister recalled that the market is the main source of income for farmers and livestock farmers, complemented by the CAP, but "we must agree on supplementary sources of income such as carbon capture and the bioeconomy".

Planas stressed that trade agreements such as Mercosur are a great opportunity, especially in the current geopolitical situation, and he therefore urged its ratification to be completed, as well as the completion of negotiations on the agreement with India.

Spain has also asked the European Commission to present as soon as possible its proposals to ban the sale of products below production costs to complement ongoing reforms.

The minister also stressed the important role of innovation, "it is the future", and congratulated the Polish presidency for having reached a common position on new genomic techniques (NGS) in order to "reach an ambitious regulation" in the debate with the European Parliament.

Planas calls for a new Fund to respond to new challenges

The future of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) was also discussed at the EU Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers. Planas raised the need to improve the implementation of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) so that it really responds to the challenges facing the sector, such as decarbonisation, the habitability of vessels and generational handover.

The EMFAF is excessively rigid and complex, Planas pointed out. The start of discussions on the future Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) "will allow us to take decisions with the right ambition to develop a fisheries and aquaculture sector of the future".

Fisheries must have simpler regulations to boost competitiveness and enhance sustainability. The practice of compulsory landings should be reviewed given the complexity of compliance and it should be adapted to the reality of the sector, according to Planas, who also pointed out that the Mediterranean fleet needs security and certainty. "The current approach needs to change to take into account the socio-economic impact of the decisions that are taken, always hand in hand with science, in order to give fishing in the Mediterranean a future," Planas said.

Non official translation