The Minister of Agriculture, Julien Denormandie, welcomed Tuesday on Europe 1 the maintenance of the French envelope in the budget of the European common agricultural policy (CAP). French agriculture will receive 62.4 billion euros over the next seven years.

INTERVIEW

After the agreement on the European recovery plan to respond to the coronavirus crisis, many leaders celebrated this victory. On the French side, Emmanuel Macron hailed a "historic" moment. And his Minister of Agriculture, Julien Denormandie, did not shun his pleasure either on Tuesday evening on Europe 1. Because in addition to this stimulus plan, he can congratulate himself on the maintenance of French credits as part of the policy common agricultural sector, the CAP. "On the French side, it is 62.4 billion euros which will be able to benefit our farmers, our breeders" over the next seven years, he declared.

"We're starting from afar"

"We are starting from afar because many had a downward ambition for this European agriculture," said Julien Denormandie. This amount does not take into account any additional investments made thanks to the recovery plan, which should be 40 billion euros for Paris. However, this stimulus plan could well also benefit the sector. "This plan aims, for example, to strengthen European and French food sovereignty", explained the minister. "It is for the agricultural component a very important agreement which was concluded."

Conditions must be fulfilled in order to benefit from these budget extensions. In particular, they will go towards green investments. And Julien Denormandie intends to offer some. "In the European recovery plan and in the French plan, we are going to put the package on short circuits because it is one of the ways to promote this French agriculture and to take care of the health of our fellow citizens."