Giansanti: «Without resources, EU food autonomy is at risk»

«Without adequate financial resources and public incentives to invest in innovations, the EU’s food autonomy is also at risk». From the Hall of the Barons of the Maschio Angioino, Massimiliano Giansantinational president of Confagricolturaraised the alarm: «The future of the European Union depends on the decisions that will be taken, in particular, on common debt for investments and on the single capital market. The new Stability Pact is absolutely not enough, with a Union budget stuck at1% of GDP of the Member States».

In Naples for the regional assembly of Confagricoltura Campania, Giansanti insisted on this point: «The question of financial resources is fundamental and unavoidable. The current EU agricultural budget is absolutely inadequate. It cannot withstand the impact of the next enlargement of the Union. The extension of the CAP to Ukraine alone would cost 100 billion euros over seven years. It is necessary to define the basic political guidelines on the financial resources to be allocated to agriculture after 2027, before the opening of negotiations with the candidate countries».

In the meantime, without waiting for the new CAP reform, according to the president of Confagricoltura «we must continue to reduce and simplify the bureaucratic requirements for businesses. The issue of unfair practices and the principle of reciprocity to be applied in commercial relations with third countries must also be addressed. There are still too many measures – said Giansanti – which do not favor European companies and there is still a lot to do to support prices at origin and recognize the right value for production». The general director of Confagricoltura was also present at the Campania regional assembly Annamaria Barrile e Rosario Rago member of the National Council. At the beginning the extraordinary part took place with the approval of some statutory changes, including the presence of the president of the women’s association on the board of directors.

Then it was the regional president’s turn Fabrizio Marzano, as well as a member of the national board, introduce the work of the ordinary part of the assembly. «We are not competing with anyone, we have – underlined Marzano, inviting the delegates to recover the relationship with the territories and the associates – the pride of our identity, of being strong in the segments we represent, having as our guiding star the defense of companies that generate income, because it is only by producing income that the social function of a company is fulfilled. Agricultural companies, even those in internal areas that operate in disadvantaged conditions, must be supported but not subsidized».

The five presidents of the provincial unions and the presidents of the regional economic sections also spoke at the assembly. Giansanti presented the program to the delegates for the next four years of the mandate, which is based on three macro objectives to be pursued in order to offer members ongoing support that goes beyond trade union and representation activities. A program focused on initiatives that promote the sustainable growth of businesses through the adoption of new technologies and the financial and production structuring of agro-industrial supply chains. To achieve this, we aim for a more efficient and responsive organization to market dynamics and the needs of members; the increase in new sources of financing, developing the capacity to offer services to businesses and citizens; to the development of skills and human capital, focusing on generational turnover and investing in training and initiatives to attract talent into the confederal system.