Europe announces a decrease in European credits to give more power back to the states. But the coffers are empty in France… While negotiations will continue until December, the profession is calling for mobilization.
United at a national congress at the Pont du Gard at the end of March, independent winemakers raised their concerns, often related to climate change. The visit of the Minister of Agriculture brought about a more political fear: the fear of Europe dismantling the pillars of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as the Union announces its intention to allocate more credits for defense.
“A major strategic mistake”
“The announcement made by the President of the Commission shows that food sovereignty, which was one of the pillars of our continent, is now nothing but a distant utopia for many countries in northern Europe,” laments Jean-Marie Fabre, national president of independent winemakers from Aude. “This is a major strategic mistake at a time when what is happening in Ukraine and the Middle East requires Europe to rearm not only in a military sense but also in an agricultural sense.”
Winemaker in Servian, Henri Cabanel, a senator and member of the European Democratic and Social Group on the center-left, closely monitors the CAP within the Senate. And he confirms the fears: “We are currently in the midst of hearings on this issue. Indeed, there will be fundamental changes in the CAP supposedly for the sake of simplification. The main point is that Europe will give more power to the member states to accelerate or not their agricultural policy.”
400 billion euros less in European credits
All against the backdrop of a decrease in the PAC budget envelope, which is currently at 2,000 billion euros but only represents 0.35% of the European GDP compared to 1.5% in the United States or 2% in China. “The proposal made by the European Commission is a 20% decrease to 1,600 billion euros,” explains Henri Cabanel. “And since we are among the countries that receive the most, we will be the most penalized. Knowing that basic payment rights are a vital part of our farmers’ income, we can have valid concerns.”
Regarding the wine sector, “there is currently no specific question but the envelope will decrease amidst an overall decline.”
“In France, we are as broke as the wheat”
The concern of the profession arises from doubts about France’s budgetary capacity to take over. “For example, regarding the environment, there will be a sum of subsidies with an obligation for each country to participate at least 30% but the possibility to go beyond,” explains Henri Cabanel. “In France, we are as broke as the wheat. It is very likely that we will not go beyond the 30% unlike countries like Poland, which heavily invest in their agriculture.”
“Now is the time for unions to exert pressure”
While the negotiation phase between states and Europe will extend until December 2026, before a vote in parliament in the first quarter of 2027, the Senator from Hérault calls on the profession to mobilize: “it is now that the unions must come forward to help us put pressure on the French government and European parliamentarians to minimize the decrease in credits. The Minister of Agriculture mentions an independent envelope that would compensate. We do not believe it for a single moment.”
Jean-Marie Fabre and the independent winemakers have heard the message: “We are advocating with our European confederation for a budget that is not only consolidated but even strengthened. We need a collective, financially strong European vision, and for the CAP to maintain the regime of a common market organization dedicated to the sector.”
