European farming organisation Copa-Cogeca has revealed its opposition to EU proposals that could see spending across the bloc's agricultural sector cut by nearly 3 per cent next year.

In a statement, the agricultural body urged EU politicians to actually increase funding when they meet to agree the 2011 EU budget in Brussels this week.

'EU farmers' incomes plummeted by nearly 12 per cent last year and are reaching critical levels, being less than 50 per cent of average earnings of other sectors,' said Copa-Cogeca secretary general Pekka Pesonen. 'Faced with the challenges of increasing trade liberalisation, climate change, extreme price volatility and rising world food demand, it is totally unacceptable to put further pressure on EU farmers' livelihoods.'

Mr Pesonen outlined the need for a strong Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), with sufficient budgetary resources, to meet the increasing challenges that the sector is expected to face.

'Copa-Cogeca consequently calls on negotiators from the EU Commission, Parliament and council to revise the draft budget for 2011 when they meet on Monday (6 December),' He noted. 'The EU institutions are convening to try and reach an agreement on the deadlocked 2011 EU budget. Copa-Cogeca urges that farm spending must be increased, compared to 2010, in line with the increase in total EU budget.

'This is vital to establishing a flourishing EU agriculture sector in the future, which employs 28m people, who in turn contribute to the economic viability and attractiveness of rural areas.'

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