Transport Online – Frustrated Adema addresses Brussels for delay with subsidy
BRUSSELS – Minister of Agriculture Piet Adema has spoken to the European Commission about the lack of approval of the next round of billions in subsidies for Dutch farmers. He finds it “frustrating” that the committee’s blessing is taking so long.
The Netherlands was early in submitting the plan needed to receive the approximately 4.7 billion euros in agricultural subsidies for the first four years. But it then saw all recording left and right, while the Netherlands is still waiting for an official statement three weeks before the turn of the year. According to the European news platform Politico, Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski wants to be more for ‘industrial’ Dutch agriculture than for low-tech and small-scale farmers in Eastern Europe, for example. He would have complained about the Netherlands within the committee.
Adema “formally spoke” to Wojciechowski on Monday at consultations with EU construction ministers in Brussels and was also raised by his fellow ministers. “I find it frustrating that it is being held because I don’t think we deserve it,” Adema said afterwards. “That’s not just me saying that, but I hear that more here. Our farmers want to get started and want to know where they stand.”
According to Adema, the European Commissioner is “of course allowed to have his own instructions about agriculture”, but that should not lead to further unjustified delay. The commission is likely to approve the Dutch plan on Tuesday, its statement said earlier.