PEKKA PESONEN: DISAPPOINTED THAT NO DECISION TAKEN FOR AGRICULTURAL SUPPORTS

Press Release...

Faced with rapid market breakdown due to the COVID-19 crisis, EU livestock producers and their cooperatives ask the European Commission to take urgent action

The outbreak and spread of COVID-19 and the subsequent measures implemented by governments to contain it have resulted in an abrupt closure of the majority of the continent’s food services. This in turn has had a marked effect on the suppliers of these services across the agricultural sector. Copa and Cogeca have gathered data from their members showing the impact that the COVID-19 crisis has on the dairy, beef, sheep and goat sector. Based on this information, several letters have been sent to the European Commission calling for specific measures to be put in place and to be financed outside the CAP budget.

Pekka Pesonen, Secretary General of Copa and Cogeca stated that, “We are disappointed that no decision in support of the agricultural sector was taken at the SCA meeting yesterday. In these times that are trying for all of us, the agricultural sector is ensuring food security for every EU citizen. At the same time, the sector is currently facing unprecedented circumstances caused by factors beyond agriculture. While we recognise the European Commission's and Member States’ efforts to ensure that the internal market functions smoothly, we reiterate the need for additional targeted market measures for the livestock sector, including exceptional measures, financed outside of the CAP budget”.


COPA - COGECA

The Treaty of Rome establishing the European Economic Community signed on 25 March 1957 already contained the most important framework provisions of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

The relationship between the Community authorities and the representatives of the agricultural sector was left open by the Treaty, but the Commission expressed its desire for close cooperation at an early stage and invited representatives of agricultural organisations to attend the 1958 Stresa Conference as observers.

Farmers themselves were convinced of the importance of the Community for their sector, and on 6 September 1958, the first European representative organisation, COPA (Committee of Professional Agricultural Organizations), was created.

One year later, on 24 September 1959, the agricultural cooperatives of the European Community created their European umbrella organisation, COGECA (General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives).

COPA’s Secretariat was established in Brussels on 1 April 1959, merging with that of COGECA on 1 December 1962.