"The European resources allocated to agriculture are insufficient, even after the timid restoration of the rural development budget. It must be said with strength and together: we cannot ask farmers for more commitment and further sacrifices, above all on the environmental front, without adequate resources in exchange ”.
Thus the Minister Teresa Bellanova during the interview at the Mipaaf, which ended a few minutes ago, with the French Ambassador to Italy Christian Masset.
A cordial meeting that has touched on numerous points: European agricultural policy, duties, compensatory measures, labeling, to end with an exchange on the political situation in our country.
On external convergence the Minister reiterated: "we are strongly opposed to its continuation. As net contributors, we consider it illogical and unjustified. A situation that must be absolutely rebalanced ”.
As for green architecture, "we absolutely agree", said the Minister, "the environmental ambition of the CAP and its contribution to climate change, but we consider the current proposal too unbalanced, with excessive commitments for farmers on mitigations to front of no intervention to favor the adaptation path. Sustainability must be social, environmental, economic. For this reason, during the last Council in November, I proposed to allocate a percentage of direct payments to strengthen risk management measures, in particular the creation of a national mutual fund. France's support in this confrontation would be very important, to motivate farmers on the ambitious challenge of a zero-emission Europe for the 2050 ".
And even if on duty the Minister Bellanova urged the Ambassador Masset a common and synergic action to urge the Commission to adopt "effective measures capable of guaranteeing support to companies present on the American market", on nutritional labeling it reiterated: "We are absolutely opposed to the Nutri-score: it does not provide complete and correct indications to the consumer and is not based on solid scientific evidence". "It is inconceivable," reiterated the Minister, "that pillars of the Mediterranean diet such as olive oil are branded with the red stamp. We are for a label system that considers the daily needs of nutrients and gives useful information to the consumer. We must guarantee comprehensive and complete information on the quality of the products. And we must guarantee the mandatory indication of origin ".