Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-05-23-Speech-3-422"
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"en.20070523.27.3-422"2
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"Madam President, please allow me to re-iterate the fundamental facts of discrimination against the new Member States in the framework of the so-called ‘common’ agricultural policy. And note that these statistics come from EU institutions.
For this reason I am voting against the Commission’s proposal and against adopting this report. While I realise that simplifying legislation is necessary, it should only happen when individual markets have been organised fairly.
My fellow Europeans, let us all have ‘righteousness in the heart’!
For example, in 2004 the new Member States had 22% of the total farmland, but received just under 4% in subsidies. Per-hectare agricultural and rural development subsidies in 2007 were EUR 148 per hectare for the new Member States, and EUR 366 per hectare for the old Member States. A similar imbalance is expected for 2013, which means we face ten years of discrimination against the new Member States, thereby losing the opportunity to build up a strong European agriculture.
Imbalances in the allocation of milk quotas persist. Holland, which has one-eighth of the farmland that Poland has, has a higher milk quota. As regards the sugar market, the reform mainly favours the old Member States, which are the ones responsible for over-production in the first place.
And finally, the fruit and vegetable market, where some EUR 700 million are allocated to producers’ organisations. 90% of these subsidies go to three Member States where they go to a narrow circle of the most powerful producers’ organisations. The processed fruit and vegetables market currently enjoys EUR 775 million of subsidies, of which more than 86% go to just three old Member States, and 2.5% goes to the new Member States. All new Member States receive one-tenth of the average for one old Member State.
Ladies and gentlemen, in his speech before this House on 25 of April this year, the Indian President Abdul Kalam said amongst others that achieving a lasting solution required ‘righteousness in the heart’. His message was warmly received with ovations by yourselves.
The agricultural market reforms we are discussing today has many good points: it will simplify legislation and reduce administrative costs, and make the lives of farmers easier. But it has one fundamental flaw, and that is that it does not have ‘righteousness in the heart’, as it fails to correct the unfair subsidies for farmers on individual markets. It affects mainly the poorer farmers in the new Member States. The poor get less, and the rich more. This has nothing to do with fundamental principles of the European Union, such as solidarity.
The rules of the CAP are blatantly breached in many markets. Repeated attempts to introduce fair subsidies for farmers in particular markets have proved ineffective. Statistical data showing clear discrimination have been ignored.
The European Commission’s present proposal retains some of the organisational defects of individual markets. It is artificial, unfair and cut off from the real situation. Voting for simplification in this situation is voting for continued injustice and discrimination.
So I appeal mainly to the Members representing the new Member States: do not vote for simplification, because despite its apparent merits, it discriminates against your farmers. At the same time I appeal to the representatives of old Member States: do you know that financial discrimination against the new states is a threat to the future of the entire European Union, and perpetuates the division of the EU into rich and poor by denying the idea of building a strong Europe capable of competing on the global market?"@en1
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