THE WORK AGENDA INCLUDES THE AGREEMENT THAT DEMONSTRATES THE CORRECT USE OF THE POSEI BUDGET.

The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Dacian Ciolos, moves to the Canary Islands the next day 18 September to discuss with the authorities of the archipelago possible changes in the program that regulates European Union aid to agriculture and local production in the outermost regions.

According to community sources, The visit will take place on 18 to the 20 September, although the dates are pending confirmation.

Ciolos made it clear in a meeting with journalists that the Commission “does not question” the existence, maintenance, nor the budget of the Specific Options Program for Remoteness and Insularity (POSEI), and insisted that a specific instrument is needed for the outermost regions.

“Now I want to discuss directly with the beneficiaries how to ensure better use of that budget, without questioning the idea of ​​decentralizing the instrument”, said the commissioner, who recalled that the program grants “some flexibility” to the Member States for their management, Since “The situation is very different between the islands and everything cannot be centralized in Brussels”.

The goal, the commissioner explained, is to reach an agreement with the outermost regions on “clearer objectives”, that allow demonstrating the correct use of the budget that this instrument has and the results obtained.

According to Ciolos, you would have to have some “indicators” that allow progress to be checked, Since “if we can't measure it, In a few years this type of instrument may be called into question, in relation to the use and effectiveness of European public money”.

 

“I think that in order to be able to prove the good use of the budget, We have to agree on clearer objectives that we have with these instruments to be able to test the results”, the commissioner has clarified.

“If we are not able to do this in a few years, these types of instruments may be called into question regarding the efficiency in the use of European public money.. For this reason, I want to guarantee more transparency in the use of this money and also more adaptation in the distribution of this envelope in some measures taking into account these priorities”, Ciolos specified.

The commissioner, that in addition to the Canary Islands will also visit Madeira on these dates, has defended that we must support the ORs “not only to offset the cost of importing some basic products from the mainland, but the maximum possible to produce these products locally” and search “a good balance” between “this dominant production support” as in the case of banana, sugar or milk “and diversification” productive “to meet some socio-economic objectives to keep farmers active as much as possible and ensure good development of these areas, fundamentally dominated by rural areas”.

These are the ideas we have to discuss, Ciolos has advanced, which has underlined the interest of the ORs of “be self-sufficient as far as possible based on some agricultural products”.

 

For this reason, The EC wants to propose greater transparency in the use of money and a better adaptation of the distribution of aid, Ciolos added..

The commissioner considered that subsidies to the outermost regions should not be limited to “compensate the cost of transporting the products”, but they must also help local production, that makes the islands less dependent.

In this context, indicated that it will be necessary to find a “good balance”, to maintain the maximum number of active farmers and the future of those rural areas.

The commissioner explained that during the visit he will meet with local authorities, with representatives of farmers' and ranchers' organizations and with others involved in the management of the POSEI regulations.