Spain's Agriculture Minister addresses CAP reforms and olive oil sector crisis

Spanish Agriculture Minister Luis Planas is advocating for reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and addressing critical issues within the olive oil sector. Planas has emphasized the need for flexibility in the CAP to accommodate different member state realities and is pushing for simplified administrative procedures for small farmers. He suggested that raising the aid limit from 3,000 to 5,000 euros could benefit nearly 60% of CAP recipients in Spain.

Regarding the olive oil industry, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) is set to publish the national olive oil assessment (aforo) this week to estimate the upcoming harvest. Planas intends to bring the issue of low origin prices, which are straining the European sector, to Brussels.

Simultaneously, major agricultural organizations including ASAJA, COAG, UPA, and Cooperativas Agroalimentarias are demanding criminal sanctions against fraud to combat the loss of profitability and competitiveness in the olive oil sector. They are calling for urgent and structural measures from both central and regional governments to address the systematic decline in margins for olive oil producers.