| "EU OF 25 BRINGS NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO FARM SECTOR", COMMISSIONER KALNIETE SAYS |
| Author: EUROPEAN COMMISSION |
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| Codex-online publication date: 07/28/2004 |
| Date of Original Publication: 07/28/2004 |
| Country: Not applicable ( EU, International ) |
Summary: Speaking at the Libramont Agriculture Fair today, EU Commissioner Sandra Kalniete highlighted the opportunities the enlarged European Union (EU) of 25 brings to farmers and rural areas. |
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"Let us not forget that the number of consumers in that market has risen to 454 million. And that this market is one without tariff restrictions, export quotas or trade barriers. It is clear that this offers opportunities for both EU-15 Member States and new Member States. Trade between the EU-15 and the new Member States has already significantly increased during the period preceding enlargement, and will further increase in the years ahead.", she stressed. On the Commission proposal to reform the sugar sector, Mrs. Kalniete made clear that the status quo was not tenable.
"The current regime has survived without reform for over forty years; there is a lack of competition, consumers and the sugar-processing industry pay excessively high prices, intensive sugarbeet growing is causing environmental problems in many regions and subsidised exports are being roundly criticised throughout the world, above all by the developing countries. The existing sugar regime in no way guarantees jobs, as many people claim. In the last ten years alone 17 000 jobs have been lost and hundreds of plants have been forced to close. That trend will carry on even without the reform, because part of production will increasingly lose competitiveness as a result of the gradual quota reduction. This reform will have many tangible benefits: We will maintain sustainable sugar production in Europe, give sugarbeet growers a fair chance, give the industry the opportunity to become more competitive and give consumers the prospect of lower sugar prices.", she underlined.
Commissioner Kalniete pointed out that enlargement has not been an easy process, especially for the acceding countries. "As a former Minister of foreign affairs of one of the acceding countries, I think I am well placed to testify to the enormous efforts the acceding countries have had to make over recent years. So it is quite natural that they expect a great deal from membership of the EU. I believe that these expectations must not, and will not be false ones. Since the 1 May 2004, the CAP applies to all 25 Member States. This means that farmers in the new Member States now have access to the single market, to relatively stable prices, and new opportunities. Direct income support will be phased in gradually. Rural development programmes worth billions of EU funds, tailor-made to meet the new Member States' individual needs, are being adopted and will soon be implemented. These measures should help them in the coming years to improve their income prospects, to modernise their infrastructure, and to make their farms more viable and competitive in the enlarged Union.", she stated.
Mrs. Kalniete underlined that the gains will not be one-sided. "Farmers in the 15 "old" Member States (EU-15) will also benefit, notably from the expansion of the single market, but also from the widening of the EU's product base and agricultural expertise. EU-15 farmers know that the predicted income growth in the new Member States will lead to growing markets for quality and branded products, meat, fruits and vegetables, fresh milk products and cheese. All EU-25 farmers should realize that developments in world markets will become an increasingly decisive factor for the agricultural market outlook.", she said.
Commissioner Kalniete also drew attention to the European Commission's recent proposal to bring all existing rural development measures under a single instrument: the European Rural Development Fund. "With our proposal to spend on average EUR 13 billion a year on developing, modernising and maintaining the countryside in Europe, we want to increase the transparency and visibility of the EU's rural development policy, and we also want to make it simpler to apply and more driven by local players, rather then member states' governments or Brussels.", she concluded.
Background
EU enlargement has added a further 4 million farmers to the existing seven million in the EU. Enlargement has added 38 million hectares to the European farmland representing an increase of 30%. An increase in production is estimated at 10 to 20% for most products, while the gross value added of agriculture would increase by 6%.
More on enlargement and agriculture and Commissioner Kalniete on the internet at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/external/enlarge/index_en.htm
and
http://europa.eu.int/comm/commissioners/kalniete/index_en.htm
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