The deputies adopted on Monday against the advice of the government several measures which would result in increasing the expenditure of the agricultural budget by one billion euros, with little chance of seeing them retained in the final copy of the finance bill 2024.
The National Assembly thus approved the establishment of emergency aid of 271 million euros to support organic agriculture, via the vote on an amendment tabled by 46 deputies from seven groups of the National Assembly , including Renaissance and MoDem which belong to the majority. Losses in the sector are leading to significant desires for deconversion, warned Gers MP David Taupiac (Liot).
Without contesting the existence of an organic crisis, the Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, highlighted that it was a demand crisiswhich must be supported in particular through public procurement, as the State does with 100 million euros.
17% more for agriculture in 2024 compared to 2023?
The deputies also adopted, again against the advice of the government, and for an amount of 50 million euros, amendments aimed at retaining a measure of the recovery plan with the objective of supporting the investments of small municipalities so that they can develop a healthy dietsafe, sustainable, quality and local in school canteens.
Same scenario for a 350 million euro amendment, with the objective of strengthening the credits allocated to agro-environmental and climate measures (MAEC), in order to support the ecological transition of farms. The National Assembly also voted in favor of maintaining in 2022-2023 compensation schemes for non-production losses linked to the avian influenza epidemic, an identical level for 2021-2022, for a cost of 469 million euros.
The deputies were not able to study all the amendments tabled before the end of the session, so that there was no vote on all the credits allocated to agriculture. The rest of the debates are scheduled for November 18 and 19, but the expenditure part of the budget will probably be adopted by then via 49.3.
It is unlikely that these measures will remain in the final copy of the government, which can choose the amendments it wishes when it adopts a financial text using this criticized constitutional weapon. You are part (…) of a government which has chosen to approach the preparation of the budget by completely crushing Parliament. We are in the process of examining your department’s appropriations without being able to complete the examination of these appropriationsand without knowing as we speak what cabinet secrets you have decided to keep or not, lamented PCF deputy Sbastien Jumel.
Introducing the debates, Mr. Fesneau welcomed a historic 2024 budget for agriculture, of seven billion euros, an increase of almost 17% compared to 2023.
Reproduction forbidden.