Coldiretti criticizes EU decision to remove social conditionality

The Italian agricultural confederation Coldiretti has denounced a decision by the European Union to remove social conditionality from the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This change decouples the receipt of agricultural funds from compliance with labor standards, including health and safety regulations.

Marking the tenth anniversary of Italy's anti-caporalato law, which aims to combat illegal labor exploitation and criminal infiltration in production chains, Coldiretti expressed concern that the EU's move represents a regression. The organization noted it was the only European employer organization to advocate for maintaining these labor-related constraints within the CAP.

Coldiretti plans to participate in a mobilization in Brussels on November 3, organized by Effat, a European agricultural workers' organization involving Italian unions Cgil, Cisl, and Uil. The group is calling for a response within the European Parliament to address these changes and continues to advocate for strengthened prevention and controls against irregular work and exploitation throughout the entire supply chain.