The Director General of Industry and the Agro-Food Chain, Ernesto Fernández, and the Director General of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Ángel Marhuenda, have presented to European institutions the main demands of the Valencian countryside within the framework of negotiations for the future CAP 2028-2034.
As part of their agenda in Brussels, both officials have held meetings with representatives of the European Commission and the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union (REPER), in addition to taking part in meetings of the Working Group of the Common Organisation of Markets (OCM) and the Assembly of European Horticultural Regions (AREFLH), as detailed by the Generalitat in a statement.
At these meetings, the representatives of the Department of Agriculture, Water, Livestock and Fisheries have stressed the importance of the new CAP preserving the support instruments for the productive sectors, simplifying bureaucracy, and contributing to improving the economic viability of farms.
During the meeting with the head of the unit for Social Sustainability and equality coordinator of the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission, María Gafo, both Director Generals have reiterated the need for the next CAP to maintain support for farmers and livestock breeders and to take into account the particularities of the Valencian production structure.
They have also put on the table the risk of abandonment of agricultural activity and the difficulties faced by young people in entering the countryside—two of the main challenges to ensure generational renewal.
Funding for the horticultural aid
One of the key issues addressed in Brussels was the defense of the current financing system for the operational programs of producer organizations for fruits and vegetables (OPFH).
The Director Generals have expressed the Generalitat’s rejection of the proposal to introduce national co-financing of these aid in the future CAP, replacing the current model of financing entirely at the Community level through the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (FEAGA).
Ernesto Fernández has warned that this modification would require Member States to assume part of the cost of the operational programs, which could limit the capacity for action of producer organizations.
This position has also been defended within the framework of the AREFLH meetings, an organization representing the horticultural and fruit sector in which the Comunitat Valenciana participates through its regions’ college.
In these forums, other factors that condition the sector’s competitiveness have also been analyzed, such as the pressure from imports from third countries, the limited availability of active substances for the control of pests and diseases, and the increase in administrative obligations that fall on farmers.
Electronic notebook and direct payments
At the meeting with the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union (REPER), the director generals reviewed the negotiation calendar for the future CAP and the progress of the debates on the new framework of aid planned for 2028-2034.
Ángel Marhuenda has argued that the next CAP should incorporate criteria for applying direct payments adjusted to the reality of Valencian agricultural holdings.
Similarly, he has requested to postpone the mandatory electronic registration of phytosanitary treatments, set for 1 January 2027, and to consider exceptions for small holdings, in order to avoid new administrative burdens, especially for older farmers.
Support for the rice sector
The agenda in Brussels has also included contacts with representatives of the Italian regions of Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna, with which the Comunitat Valenciana shares problems such as the small size of holdings, the aging of titleholders, difficulties with generational renewal, and the need to ensure sufficient and quality water resources.
At these meetings, special attention has been paid to the situation of the rice sector, which is suffering a drop in prices to levels that prevent production costs from being adequately covered.
In this context, the Generalitat representatives have analyzed the draft opinion of the European Committee of the Regions on the future of the rice sector in Europe, which considers the advisability of promoting a common strategy to address the problems affecting this crop.