Labour MEP Alfred Sant has voted against the EU Common Agricultural Policy
Strategic Plan and stated that it was not adapted to Malta’s particular
agricultural landscape.
In an explanation of his vote to the European Parliament plenary session,
Alfred Sant said that a derogation allowing the allocation of up to €3 million
per year of voluntary coupled support to Maltese farmers remains missing
from the strategic plan.
Without this derogation, Maltese farmers would face massive drops of
essential support that could mean the definite collapse of the sector. In view of
this, Sant voted against both the Commission Proposal as well as the final EP
Plenary Report on the CAP Strategic Plan.
Alfred Sant had attempted to include the derogation through an amendment
in the Budget Opinion and by representations with European Parliament
negotiators but the proposal was not taken on board.
The European Commission first issued its proposal for reform of the CAP in
May 2018, following a public consultation which had resulted in the
Communication “The Future of Food and Farming”, published in November
2017.
