ENORMOUS CUTS TO AGRICULTURAL POLICY, WHICH LOSES 31 BILLION EUROS, REVEALED THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL MULTIANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT 2014-2020. “WE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY”, SAYS THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, FRANCO FRATTINI

The EU distributes over one thousand billion euros to Member States, or 1.05% of the European GDP for infrastructure plans (+27 billion euros), technological innovation and increases to immigration funds (+7 billion euros). However, there are drastic cuts to agricultural policies: 413 billion euros offered by the EU until 2013, will drop to 382 billion euros. This is the general outline of the European Council multiannual financial framework 2014-2020, presented yesterday by the Minister for Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini, officially appointed by the government to guide the negotiations for the approval of the next EU budget.

“We are concerned,” said the Foreign Minister, endorsed by CIA, Coldiretti and Confagricoltura (Italian farmers confederation, Association of Italian Farmers and Italian confederation of farmers) “about the Common Agricultural Policy leveling contributions according to area size in Italy”.