“All EU farmers must meet the same standards and requirements, and, therefore, convergence of direct support is our common interest,” Lithuanian Agriculture Minister Bronius Markauskas said in a press release.
“It is the duty of the agriculture ministers to stand up for the rights of their farmers, and I hope that we will succeed through joint efforts,” he said.
The declaration is expected to be presented to all EU agriculture ministers at a meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on Mar. 19.
In the document, the four countries also call for continuing area-based lump-sum payments and voluntary coupled support scheme in the Common Agricultural Policy, as well as for a focus on environmental protection.
Lithuanian farmers have been eligible for direct support under the CAP since the country’s accession to the EU, but they receive much lower payments than their counterparts in Western European countries.
