On October 12, the European Commission will present its recommendations on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the Union between 2014 and 2020 – announced Sándor Fazekas at the conference entitled "Renewing Europe – response concerning the Common Agricultural Policy and the challenges of the 21st Century", organised within the framework of the National Agriculture and Food Exhibition (OMÉK).

The Minister for Rural Development stressed that the agricultural sector must cope with many diverse and significant risks. Support is available in case of biological and environmental damages. However, the speculation-related extreme price fluctuations that have been experienced during recent years is a phenomenon against which farmers are totally defenceless, leading to the need for a new approach in risk management. On the basis of conclusions adopted during the Hungarian Presidency, the Commission will make recommendations for a new agricultural income stabilisation system, which will provide specific protection against risks associated with price swings.

Jaroslaw Wojtovicz, who represented the EU presidency at the conference in view of the fact that Poland took over the role from Hungary on July 1, announced: the presidency is working intensively on the legislative package being prepared for the CAP, and will be organising an open discussion on the completed document in November. The Polish State Secretary for Rural Development stressed the need for a CAP that facilitates development, and is based on an adequate, secure budget.

Antonis Constatinou, European Commission Director-General of Agriculture and Rural Development, reminded those present that in the Union 17.5 million people make a living in agriculture, of which 13.7 million do so on small farms or smallholdings on less than five hectares. The Director-General emphasised that in addition to direct payments, renewable energy sources need to be developed and young people must be educated and trained so that the transition between generations goes smoothly. The CAP is expected to have 386.9 billion euros available between 2013 and 2020, of which 281.8 billion is earmarked for the primary pillar, and 90 billion for the second.

In his speech, the Secretary-General of Europe's largest farmers' organisation, the COPA-COGECA, emphasised that the quantity of land used for farming in the Union has fallen by 2 million hectares over the past 10 years, but at the same time more and more needs to be produced on the remaining areas. If the sector's income production capabilities are not increased successfully, there will be nobody to produce our food – he stressed.

When will unhealthy foods become more expensive than healthy ones, asked the German agricultural attaché? In his reply, Sándor Fazekas pointed out that prices are significantly affected by the fact that member states flood the market with foods of unknown origin that they have produced for them in non-EU countries, totally upsetting the market.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)