Farmer President Joachim Rukwied warned in sharp words about Ukraine's accession to the EU. According to Euractiv, he claims that this step would amount to an "exit" of family businesses in the EU.
After the EU Commission recommended starting official accession talks with Ukraine last week, Rukwied warned at a press conference on Wednesday, November 15, about the future of the EU's common agricultural policy (CAP).
"Accession would lead to the exit of family-run agriculture in Europe. This must remain at the back of all political talks," said the President of the German Farmers' Association (DBV).
Rukwied referred to the large agricultural sector in Ukraine and to the fact that the average agricultural holding in the country was many times larger than in the EU.
The inclusion would therefore mean "that agriculture would be integrated into the EU, which has completely different structures, right down to farms of several 100,000 hectares," he emphasized.
So, a common agricultural policy involving Ukraine is "not feasible" unless at the expense of companies in the current EU countries.
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