In the Chamber's Economy Committee, Minister David Clarinval answered MPs' questions about the concerns expressed for several weeks by Belgian and European farmers.
Emmanuel Burton, MR federal MP and farmer, stressed the importance of responding quickly to the sector's concerns and welcomed the decisions taken at various levels: “the government has been proactive in this crisis, it must be said. Here and there we hear that things aren't moving fast enough, but the food task force set up by Minister Clarinval aims to guarantee a decent income for farmers, focusing on themes such as contractualisation, raising awareness of local products and labelling, and economic analysis of margins and prices. That's what the sector is asking for: a fair price!”
The federal MP also stresses the need to involve all levels of power, from regional to European. “Although this Monday's European Agriculture Council is not the last, it has already brought several advances. I would point, for example, to the easing of reporting requirements and the use of satellite imagery, which will help halve visits and inspections. The fight against unfair trade practices is also among the priorities, which is essential since most of the competition is, in fact, intra-European. Europe must be able to apply the same rules to everyone.”
For the MR, the Agrifish Council scheduled for March must lead to concrete measures, particularly on the issue of margins and reducing the burdens on small producers.
Chamber group leader Benoit Piedboeuf supports the government's initiatives and points out that as an exporting country, Belgium « it is crucial to support the sector while ensuring compliance with fair environmental and trade standards. In this light, in the absence of progress and a clear position on mirror clauses, I don't see how we could ratify any agreement with Mercosur.»