In the beginning of June, Kaspars Gerhards, the Minister for Agriculture, while participating in the informal Council of Ministers for Agriculture and Fishery in Bucharest (Romania), in his interview to the portal “Politico” (www.politico.eu) pointed out that the Baltic States are asking of the European Union to equalize the EU support among Member States.
In the interview, the Minister also draw attention to the fact that at the current pace taken by the European Commission in adjusting direct payments, the Baltic State will achieve the level of support, enjoyed by the West European States, only within half of the century. In the last 15 years, since Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia joined EU, farmers of these States have been receiving the lowest level of support and thus they are placed in unequal condition of competition as compared with farmers of the so called “old” EU Member States although the costs of fuel, mineral fertilizers and workforce are similar in the EU Member States.
“If we look at the last Commission proposal, then we can reach the average European Union level of direct payments only in 2069 — in that time I will be exactly 100 years old”, said Kaspars Gerhards.
Press and Public Relations Division, Ministry of Agriculture.