These measures represent actual constraints for farmers

Officially, it is not question of return on the objectives of the Grenelle of the environment for farmers. But, during his visit to the Salon of agriculture Saturday, Nicolas Sarkozy clearly opened the debate by announcing the installation of a working group around a "new method for analysis of environmental measures in agriculture". A first meeting under the auspices of the Minister of Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire, and the Minister of sustainable development, Jean-Louis Borloo, is expected this week. The idea is to evaluate these new measures by analyzing their environmental contribution on their economic, very sensitive cost in times of crisis.

In the round table, several goals were arrested: produce better, reduce the use of phytosanitary products of here 50 2018 and reduce that of nitrate in regions highly exposed as Brittany, who suffers from green algae. These measures represent actual constraints for farmers. For example, in the absence of pesticides, an equally produce four tomatoes instead of eight, says an expert. Similarly, the requirement to reserve lands meadows or trees to preserve geology can impact the performance of an operation in the short term. However, it would not matter to take a break or to question this policy, but to discuss its economic consequences and to evaluate what is being done in other European countries, says a close source from the folder.

"I'm sorry, I accept more distortion of competition within Europe, where, our farmers, it poisons their life every day and the other, not asked anything", said the President of the Republic. Yesterday, France Nature Environnement (FNE) denounced a "betrayal" of the Grenelle of the environment. "It is the Tower of doublespeak: start with say believed to a sustainable agriculture and ...". "on the demolishes", told AFP one of his experts, Lylian Le Goff. Yesterday on RTL, Jean-Louis Borloo, has denied any back, believing that it is a "problem of paperwork and procedures.

Committed to defend the CAP

Nicolas Sarkozy also announced an increase of EUR 800 million - bringing the total to 1.8 billion - the amount of subsidised loans granted by banks to farmers, in addition to outstanding support to farmers plan adjusted to 700 million. "The money will be there to support while allowing you to cross the bulk of the crisis", he said. Pillars of the right-wing electorate, farmers have seen their incomes plummet from a third party after the fall of the course of 2009.

But it is in its commitment to defend the CAP, to expire in 2013, that the head of State was perhaps the most far, de facto negotiations with its European partners by linking the subject to the case of the Greece. "If the euro has been, cannot leave a country that is in the eurozone. But I will fight with the fierce energy to defend the common agricultural policy. "On the merits, he said he was ready to accept a decrease in the share of agricultural expenditure in the budget of the European Union,"provided that be of Community preference. In other words, that it protects from imports of certain products such as meat. The FNSEA, the main agricultural Union, welcomed the "determination of the President" to defend the farmers, while acknowledging that the meeting of Saturday does "settled not everything".