site.btaNewly Elected EESC Agriculture Section Head Chukanov to Work for Food Independence, Rural Development in Europe

Interviewed by the Bulgarian News Agency shortly after his election as chair of the European Economic and Social Committee's (EESC) Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment (NAT) Section, Stoyan Chukanov stressed the importance of ensuring Europe’s food independence and preserving the high quality of the food produced. "We must also pay special attention to rural areas, as they make up 70% of Europe’s territory," he added. 

Since 2020, Chukanov has been a member of the Civil Society Organisations' Group - one of the three groups in the EESC, alongside those representing employers and workers. For many years, he has been engaged in livestock farming, and his farm is located in a rural area in southeastern Bulgaria.

Shortly after his election as chair of the NAT Section, he told a BTA correspondent in Brussels that Europe cannot exist without its rural regions. These areas deserve special attention, as they make up 70% of Europe’s land area and supply food to major cities, Chukanov added.

European consumers are looking for high-quality food, and that is precisely what Europe produces, he noted, adding that this level of quality must be preserved.

In his words, ensuring Europe’s food independence is of utmost importance.

The continent exports more food products than it imports, and in the current geopolitical context, new markets are opening up for European food, since the tariffs imposed on imports to the United States have a dual effect and are redirecting certain trade flows, Chukanov said.

Commenting on Bulgarian agricultural production, he said that a large share of European investment measures already have an impact on Bulgaria. The effect is visible not only in agriculture but in rural development as a whole, he added, while acknowledging that the basic per-hectare support in Bulgaria remains several times lower than in other EU Member States.

"We must aim for convergence in the next programming period so that Bulgarian farmers can be better positioned," he added.

As to the proposed next EU Multiannual Financial Framework, which foresees a reduction in funding for the common agricultural policy, Chukanov said that the budget for direct payments is 20% lower but remains the only one that is guaranteed. Member States will have the opportunity to provide nominally higher support compared to current levels through investment measures, eco-schemes, and various other means.

"We should not rush to outline bleak prospects," Chukanov said, though he acknowledged legitimate concerns that such cuts could lead to inequality among farmers from different countries. The proposal will be debated for another two years, so it may undergo changes.

Chukanov concluded by saying that "we must reconcile with nature in a pragmatic way," adapting to climate change without losing competitiveness and food independence. Finding the right balance between all these elements is a matter of precise policymaking, he noted.