EU Farming 'Under Threat', Needs Big Budget: Macron
PARIS (Reuters) - European Union agriculture is being threatened by internal divisions and rival trading blocs, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday, calling for a large budget to defend EU goals on food quality and environmental protection.
France is the EU's biggest agricultural producer and the main beneficiary of the bloc's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is due to be renegotiated this year in the midst of Britain's planned withdrawal from the 28-country group.
"European agriculture has always been a given, it is today under threat," Macron said in a speech at the annual Paris farm show, citing the EU's reliance on imported soybean protein for livestock feed or Russia's rise as a massive cereal exporter.
"No farmer or consumer wants to be subjected to the diktat of non-European countries," he added.
Agriculture is a frequent flashpoint in international trade negotiations, notably in areas such as food safety standards and genetically modified technology, and Macron reaffirmed France's "red line" that farming products should be kept out of trade talks with the United States.
The European Commission has also proposed leaving agriculture out of EU-U.S. discussions, at odds with the position of Washington, which is threatening punitive tariffs on European cars.
France wants the EU to assert its vision of agriculture by pushing for changes to World Trade Organization rules covering the sector, as well as to food standards under the United Nations' Codex Alimentarius, Macron said.
France is the EU's biggest agricultural producer and the main beneficiary of the bloc's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is due to be renegotiated this year in the midst of Britain's planned withdrawal from the 28-country group.
"European agriculture has always been a given, it is today under threat," Macron said in a speech at the annual Paris farm show, citing the EU's reliance on imported soybean protein for livestock feed or Russia's rise as a massive cereal exporter.
"No farmer or consumer wants to be subjected to the diktat of non-European countries," he added.
Agriculture is a frequent flashpoint in international trade negotiations, notably in areas such as food safety standards and genetically modified technology, and Macron reaffirmed France's "red line" that farming products should be kept out of trade talks with the United States.
The European Commission has also proposed leaving agriculture out of EU-U.S. discussions, at odds with the position of Washington, which is threatening punitive tariffs on European cars.
France wants the EU to assert its vision of agriculture by pushing for changes to World Trade Organization rules covering the sector, as well as to food standards under the United Nations' Codex Alimentarius, Macron said.