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[POLITICS] · Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark · 33 sources

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EU leaders urge protection of agriculture and cohesion funds

A group of 17 European Union member states, coordinated by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Romanian President Nicușor Dan, has issued a joint letter to the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU. The group, known as the ‘Friends of Cohesion’, is urging the preservation of funding for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and cohesion policy in the upcoming 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

The leaders argue that these policies are essential for strengthening the single market, supporting rural and less developed regions, and ensuring food security. They warn that the European Commission’s current proposal already includes real-term reductions for these sectors. While the group acknowledges the need for increased investment in new priorities such as security, defense, competitiveness, and energy resilience, they insist these should be funded through additional resources rather than by redirecting funds away from agriculture and regional support.

This initiative stands in opposition to a group of six countries—including Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, and Finland—which have called for significant cuts to the nearly 2 trillion euro proposed budget to prioritize military and innovation spending.

Entities

Common Agricultural Policy · Council of the European Union · European Commission · European Union · Friends of Cohesion · Giorgia Meloni · Ireland · Micheál Martin · Nicușor Dan

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