Planas suggests that communities carry out a single annual inspection of agricultural holdings and set a calendar for aid

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, insisted this Monday that responding to the demands of the countryside is not only the task of the Government of Pedro Sánchez and the European Union, but also of the autonomous communities, with which met this afternoon to prepare the Council of European Ministers convened for next February 26 in Brussels. Planas has taken advantage of the meeting to ask the communities to simplify the bureaucracy associated with aid, for example, by unifying inspections and establishing a calendar of calls.

In the telematic meeting of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Council for Community Affairs this afternoon, the Minister of Agriculture asked the autonomous communities for their “collaboration” and “support” when it comes to satisfying the demands of the countryside.. “There are very simple measures that are in the hands of the autonomous communities,” Planas recalled in a press conference prior to the meeting, in which he mentioned two examples of actions that can be implemented at the regional level..

On the one hand, the minister has pointed out the possibility of communities carrying out a single inspection of livestock and agricultural farms, to avoid successive controls without coordination.. “One of the complaints is that there are many inspections at different times of the year and in an uncoordinated manner,” explained the minister, who stressed the need to maintain the “rigor” of the controls, despite the possibility of unifying them.. “I am going to suggest to the autonomous communities that, within the scope of their powers, they coordinate their actions in such a way that a single inspection can be carried out on an agricultural and livestock farm,” he stated, pointing out that this initiative does not require any legal reform. but “simply a desire for good management.”

The minister's second specific proposal has been the idea of establishing a regular calendar to facilitate access to European aid managed by communities, such as those for young farmers and ranchers who want to start in the primary sector.. “It would provide security and is an example of good management,” Planas assured before the meeting, urging regional officials to facilitate the “day-to-day” life of farmers and ranchers.

In addition, the minister has suggested to the communities that they strengthen their control work in the application of the food chain law, as well as their contributions to agricultural insurance.. In this sense, Planas has called for the communities to complement the percentage of premiums provided by the State, which has been estimated between 30% and 40%, given that some regions are still far from the maximum of 10% that they can contribute.

“The Government of Spain is making a great effort and I would like the communities, some of which do so and others less so, to rise to the occasion and if agricultural insurance is a great instrument of defense, that we can have the support of communities in a meaningful way,” he expressed. “I don't want to make a scale of good and bad. We all have to work to be better every day,” he stated, avoiding singling out any autonomous government. “There are many initiatives that the autonomous communities can take within their powers, because they are the Government and have to respond to agricultural organizations,” has underlined.

The Minister of Agriculture has expressed that this afternoon's meeting with the communities has also served to present Spain's position in view of the next Council of European Ministers on February 26, which aims to provide “rapid and structural responses” to the crisis. current situation that the agricultural sector is going through throughout the continent. In this sense, Planas recalled that Spain is going to propose the relaxation of some requirements necessary for the granting of aid from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), such as the obligation to rotate crops and leave part of the surface uncultivated. .

Farmers have been protesting for weeks to demand fair prices, less bureaucracy when accessing aid and an equalization of the conditions required for imports to avoid unfair competition.. After meeting with the main agricultural organizations, Planas announced last week a package of 18 measures to try to satisfy the demands of the sector. The initiatives include removing the mandatory digital notebook in which farmers have to record their activity and restructuring the Food Information and Control Agency, as well as strengthening food controls at the borders and defending mirror clauses so that the European Union incorporates them into their trade agreements.

In the longer term, Planas has advanced its intention to convene a sector conference in the spring to address with the autonomous communities the need to reinforce measures aimed at incorporating young people into the primary sector. “We have to look at all the programs that we have established throughout Spain, so that together we can make them the most attractive and most effective for the introduction of new farmers and ranchers to the sector.. It is a key issue that must be raised,” he stressed.