The PAC has to be for the agriculturalists

“The PAC has to be for the agriculturalists” said the President of the Commission of Agriculture of the European Parliament the past 29 May in Barcelona. And this is an affirmation with which JARC-COAG can not be more than agreement. At all it explains that in Spain there is near of one million perceptores of helps of the PAC, while in France are 400.000 and in Germany 300.000. And this, repercute on the sector.

In JARC think that if as it wants the Commission simplifies the PAC, would have to limit the helps to those that live of the agricultural activity and grazier and suppresses those that do not have or have not had the agriculture or the livestock like main source of income. And therefore, it is so important the definition that do of the active agriculturalist.

Already are many the meetings that have done to speak of the new PAC, but in all miss that it speak in depth of the measures of market. We can not forget that of the income that has a half exploitation, 70% comes from of what produces and only 30% of helps (in the subsidized sectors). From JARC want to do a lot of incidence in the need to enable mechanisms that reduce the volatility of the prices of the foods and of the raw materials, that prevent the problems of supply that seems to be there will be to half term and that guarantee the transparency of the alimentary chain. And this wants to say, also, tackle seriously the rule of the Competition of which the agricultural sector, by his peculiarities, would have to be excluded. Or at least like this we believe it from JARC.

Said this, and regarding the guidelines of the helps that outline in the new PAC, fits to say that the budgetary perspectives, in the context of economic crisis that live are not too optimistic. If it kept the same endowment that up to now, and taking into account the incorporation of new countries, already would represent a cut of 12%. Thus, once again it will be key to see who will have right to access to the helps. For JARC, the active agriculturalist has to be a figure assimilated to the one of the professional agriculturalist, the one who lives of his agricultural activity or grazier and thus we only understand an exception: the one of the peasants that in spite of being jubilados follow working the earth to obtain a worthy income that the pension that corresponds them does not give them. Because they deserve it to him after so many years working the earth. Of this way would finish of once with the “campesinadas of sofa” and will reduce the number of perceptores.

For now, with the documents that have near at hand the main victim of the new Agricultural Politics Common is the livestock intensive, so important in Catalonia. The approach that does the PAC speaks one and again of surfaces and never considers the helps to the livestock, except in the case of the layer joined up. Conscious of this reality, JARC defends that the greater part of the budget of this layer allocate exclusively to the sectors graziers, since but some will remain touched “of death” to the not being able to follow the rhythm of adaptation to new rules that demand them. And this sucederá if the prices that perceive by the meat do not allow them save to face up to the costs. 

For JARC, the PAC is an agricultural politics and therefore, all the conditionings that determine to where has to go will have to be agricultural. Because this is his reason to be. Of the contrary, will be anything less political agricultural.