Brussels, 22 November – Prime Minister Andrus Ansip met representatives of the Baltic States’ agriculture organizations who held a demonstration in the city centre of Brussels in support of a well-funded European Union budget and strong agricultural policy.
An extraordinary meeting of the European Council has convened to reach agreement on the next Multiannual Financial Framework – the budget for 2014-2020.
The prime minister paid tribute to the farmers for their action intended to draw attention to the unequal treatment of the Baltic states in paying direct subsidies to farmers.
“I want to thank Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian farmers who have embarked on a long journey to Brussels to make their voices be heard,” said Ansip. “Your demands for faster equalization of direct subsidies in respect to the European Union average are justified and our governments support them completely.”
The Estonian head of government was accompanied by Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis, who had also come to show his solidarity with farmers.
The direct subsidy rate for Estonia proposed in the draft new budget – about 59% of the EU average – is not to the satisfaction of any of the Baltic states and raising it more rapidly is one of the priorities of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian governments in the talks on the European Union budget.
“The question is about the principle of equal treatment,” said Ansip to the farmers. “We do not demand more money but justice.”
Ansip noted that much work had been done in drafting the budget. The prime minister also said that negotiations for equalizing the level of direct subsidies have been very difficult and this Council meeting may not achieve a major breakthrough.
“Still, I hope that our common exertions will result in the summit taking a little step forward,” said Ansip. “Fortunately we have many allies. I am very grateful to the European Parliament for their broad-based support for our demands with regard to equalizing direct subsidies.”
Ansip also added that he hopes that in spite of differences of opinion between member states, some kind of agreement on the budget will be reached at the extraordinary meeting. European Union citizens await the news that investments to guarantee European economic growth are in place.