DIRECT. Agricultural crisis: Occitanie wine growers, pesticides, new law in April… follow Gabriel Attal's announcements with us

Gabriel Attal speaks at 9 a.m. MAXPPP – YOAN VALAT/POOL

This Wednesday, February 21, 2024, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal gives a press conference to respond to the anger of farmers. Three days before the Agricultural Show, the government, which intends to announce a new bill, is under pressure. 

The essentials

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal speaks at 9 a.m. this Wednesday to respond to the anger of farmers. The government is expected to announce a new agricultural bill. The Agricultural Show is at the heart of the issues, some unions use it as a means of pressure. An agricultural orientation bill will be voted on on March 12 in the Senate, for adoption in mid-April, the minister announced. 09h42.

10,000 controls

On the “10,000 checks” out of “French origin” carried out, 372 did not comply with the regulations. As a reminder, “it’s a deceptive commercial practice”, insisted Bruno Le Maire. “We will be uncompromising in respecting this origin.”

09h39.

Bruno Le Maire speaks

“For respect for economic public order”, the Minister of the Economy will mobilize 250 agents from the DGCCRF to increase controls targeting manufacturers and supermarkets. 1,400 checks were carried out over the last two weeks. Among them, 150 noted non-compliance (non-compliance with deadlines, delays in contracts), deploring that the Egalim law is not always respected.

09h38.

Use of pesticides

On the subject of the use of pesticides, significant fear of farmers, the Prime Minister wanted to reassure: “No ban without solution, no overtransposition, all without losing sight of our objective of 50% reduction in the use of pesticides.”

Also read: Beekeepers in Gard are alarmed by the decline of the government and Europe on the use of pesticides

09h31.

CAP aid

” Helping farmers means allowing them to receive CAP aid”, notes the minister, who also emphasizes that 99.6% of basic aid has already been paid. All of this aid will be paid by March 15, he promises.

09h28.

A law to avoid neighborhood conflicts

By April, a bill aimed at limiting neighborhood conflicts in the agricultural world will be adopted. He also wants to simplify the rules concerning hedges with the development of a single control.

09h26.

Wine loans to strengthen the sector in Occitanie

Aware of the difficulties facing the wine industry in the region, the Prime Minister announces “subsidized loans” for players in the sector.

09h24.

Collective catering

A “solutions conference” will be held soon on the collective catering. It will associate “the State and local authorities” and will be “brought together by the ministers” d here the month of April.

09h22.

A new bill to strengthen Egalim before the summer

“Before summer”, a new “bill to strengthen Egalim will be presented” announces Gabriel Attal. The aim will be in particular to “strengthen the weight of farmers in the negotiations”. A commission will work on this project in the coming weeks.

“Very concretely, we must move forward on three issues”,details the head of government, namely “the construction of the price” , “the place of production cost indicators” and “the European purchasing centers”.

09h19.

A law to protect farmers

A text will be examined in the Senate on March 12, for adoption of the agricultural orientation law in mid-April, indicates the Prime Minister. “In three weeks, we have achieved 8 out of 10 commitments”, estimates the head of government.

09h16.

62 commitments will be published this morning

Online at the end of this press conference will be published the 62 commitments that the government is making to place agriculture “at the rank of fundamental interests” from the country. “100% of the construction sites” have already been opened, says the minister. “In three weeks, we achieved 8 out of 10 commitments” he congratulates himself.

09h12.

Gabriel Attal speaks

Gabriel describes the agricultural crisis as “a cry that comes from far away, and behind this cry there is above all a call to action” . The Prime Minister assures that this anger calls for several measures allowing for generational renewal and above all the independence and sovereignty of the sector. “Sovereignty is our course”, insists the head of government.

09h05.

The unions met with the President

Tuesday, the FNSEA and the Young Farmers' Union met Emmanuel Macron to find solutions to this crisis. “We have progress, pledges, signals that are going in the right direction, but it is not yet enough at the moment”, in concluded the president of Young Farmers Pierrick Horel, on France Info.

09h02.

Towards a debate with Marine Le Pen ?

This morning, the Prime Minister said he was “ready” to debate with Marine Le Pen on agriculture in the columns of Figaro .

08h59.

Present the main axes

Gabriel Attal will notably speak “on the implementation of the commitments made to farmers and to present the main axes of the bill for sovereign agriculture”, reports BFMTV.

Also read: Anger of farmers: "It's going to be complicated for a member of the government to tour the Show"

08h56.

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Prime Minister Gabriel Attal speaks at 9 a.m. this Tuesday. In particular, he should present an agricultural bill to respond to the crisis facing the sector.