Latest news with #CarmenCrespoDíaz
Euractiv
17-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Commission's EU budget plan delivers major blow to fisheries
The European Commission has slashed fisheries funding by two-thirds in its proposal for the next long-term EU budget, triggering sharp criticism from lawmakers and the industry. In its proposal for a long-term EU budget for the 2028-2034 period, the EU executive merged the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) into a single mega-fund that also covers cohesion and rural development funds, and which is to be managed by national governments. Beyond the structural overhaul, the fisheries budget has shrunk from around €6 billion to €2 billion. 'The budget cut is as unjustified as it is alarming,' said Spanish MEP Carmen Crespo Díaz of the centre-right European Peoples' Party (EPP) and chair of the Parliament's Fisheries (PECH) committee. This comes 'after years of quota reductions, increasing limitations on fishing days, and a lack of real support for fishing effort,' she added. Crespo also criticised the loss of EMFAF's standalone status. 'Without a specific fund, there is no specific policy,' she warned. Industry representatives echoed the concern. 'We are witnessing a weakening of support for a sector already under severe strain and in steady decline,' said Europêche, the EU's main fishing lobby. EU fisheries Commissioner Costas Kadis, however, dismissed the criticism. 'Fisheries and ocean related policies are very well reflected in all three major building blocks of the new EU budget,' he said on social media. Kadis added that member states can choose to allocate more funds to fisheries through their National and Regional Plans (NRPs), and that the €2 billion is a minimum ringfenced amount within the larger fund. He also pointed to additional funding options, including the European Competitiveness Fund, which supports investments in 'sustainable blue economy', and the Global Europe tool, aimed at 'ocean diplomacy' and combatting illegal fishing. (adm, de)
Agriland
15-07-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Weakening agri policy would be ‘deal-breaker' for next EU budget
Any attempt to weaken agricultural policy within the EU would be a 'deal-breaker' in terms of the negotiation of the long term budget, known as the multi-annual financial framework (MFF). The comments came from Spanish MEP Carmen Crespo Díaz, the European Parliament's lead negotiator on the future of agriculture, regarding the plenary debate on the post-27 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). 'We firmly reject any attempt to nationalise this policy or merge its funding with other EU instruments,' Diaz, who is a member of the European People's Party (EPP) grouping in the EU, told Agriland. 'The CAP must remain a truly common policy, with dedicated funds and independent pillars, ensuring fair and equal support for all European farmers. 'Weakening agricultural policy would be a deal-breaker for the next EU long-term budget (MFF). 'We need to put farmers back at the centre of decision-making. Innovation, competitiveness, and sustainability must drive the transformation of Europe's food system without adding to the bureaucratic burden farmers already face,' she added. MEP Carmen Crespo Diaz. Image source: EPP Group EU Budget Crespo Diaz said that a stronger budget is essential to shield farmers from rising costs, climate risks, and market instability. 'In addition to strengthening agricultural aid, the EPP Group is committed to simplification and smart incentives to increase the profitability and resilience of farming across Europe,' she added. 'We support smart incentives over obligations, fair prices for producers, and better support for vulnerable rural regions.' In her draft report as rapporteur on the future of agriculture and the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy, Crespo Diaz stated: 'It is necessary to consolidate a model based on incentives rather than obligations, promoting the adoption of sustainable practices without affecting farmers' profitability. 'Existing regulations need to be reviewed so that they do not impose disproportionate burdens, and administrative simplification needs to be encouraged, reducing bureaucracy and ensuring that support reaches those who need it in a timely manner. 'To this end, the following should be noted: CAP cross-compliance requirements should be reassessed to reduce excessive implementation requirements, administrative burdens and unnecessary costs. 'Direct payments under Pillar I of the CAP should be made available to all professional farmers, irrespective of their size and type of production,' she also stated. She also suggested the possibility of supporting sectors in difficulty or subject to specific constraints, such as arid, mountainous or outermost areas and sectors such as fruit and vegetables, wine, beekeeping. A further point made is that the Mediterranean forests and livestock, should be maintained.
