On Monday, April 27th, Minister for Agriculture Armands Krauze will participate in the meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council (Council) in Luxembourg, where Member States will discuss the European Commission’s (EC) proposal on the future of direct payments. The Ministry of Agriculture’s position on this issue remains unchanged – the convergence of direct payments among farmers across EU Member States must be completed, eliminating unjustified disparities in direct payments that distort competition. Furthermore, this support should be targeted at active, producing farmers and based on common and fair principles, while allowing Member States sufficient flexibility to take account of their specific local circumstances and needs.
The Council will also discuss the market situation, which has remained difficult in Latvia for a prolonged period. Given the critical situation in the arable crop and vegetable sectors, farmers must carry out spring sowing at a time when diesel fuel and mineral fertiliser prices are rising, resulting in serious economic difficulties for farms. Farmers have suffered considerably from various crises in recent years, and the current situation therefore requires targeted action by the EC – swift and decisive solutions are needed to provide immediate support to primary producers.
Ministers will also discuss the issue raised by Latvia and Finland concerning the role of peat in achieving the EU’s food security and forestry objectives. Peat is a strategically important resource, and policies governing its use must be balanced and well-founded. The joint initiative by Latvia and Finland has already received support from Spain, while Estonia, Lithuania and Sweden are also planning to support it.