Slovak Farmers uneasy about upcoming EU budget

On Sunday, the Slovak Agriculture and Food Chamber (SPPK) voiced concerns about the draft of the EU budget for 2021-27, pointing to a 5% cut in funds for farming. "The media have already indicated that the migration policies of individual countries will also be taken into account," said SPPK spokesperson Jana Holéciová. She added that this kind of attitude would have a strong impact on specific allocations of farming funds for individual countries.
Meanwhile, SPPK chairman Emil Macho stated that relatively wealthier EU-member countries most probably would not have problems supplementing a lack of EU funds from their own resources, and it would be up to the Slovak Government to consider similar measures. At the same time, Holéciová stressed that the SPPK was not happy with the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), either, as it does not suit new member countries from central and eastern Europe. While the European Commission was supposed to ensure that these countries received extra money in compensation for lower direct payments, farmers in new countries still receive lower funds than their peers in western Europe, with Slovakia currently at only 78% of the EU average, added Holéciová.