“That came out today the minister of agriculture lied to the Portuguese. Contrary to what Maria do Céu Antunes had stated, the future Organic Law of the Commissions for Coordination and Regional Development (CCDR) will not stipulate that one of the four Vice-Presidents of these intermediary public administration entities will be responsible for the portfolio of Agriculture. Also contrary to what the Minister of Agriculture said, it is not foreseen that the current Regional Agriculture Directors will assume the vice-chairmanship of the future CCDR.”
This is how the Confederation of Portuguese Farmers (CAP) reacts to the statements of Ana Abrunhosa, which contradict what the Minister of Agriculture had put forward. Maria do Céu Antunes had moved on to the Public that the CCDR’s new organic law would require regional directors of agriculture to be deputies of those entities, information denied today by the Minister of Cohesion. “It is not established in the organic law which areas receive the vice presidents, this is a decision of the directors of each CCDR,” Ana Abrunhosa’s office confirmed to the same newspaper, clarifying that it will be up to “the directors of the CCDR, within their autonomy, choose the areas they deem appropriate for each Vice President. Each CCDR makes its choice taking into account the profiles of the management elements, as well as the characteristics of their region.”
“It’s all wrong,” complains CAP, which asks for the intervention of António Costa. “Solving this problem is up to the prime minister.”
For the institution that represents the majority of the country’s farmers, “we are facing a very serious situation, which cannot be left without consequences”. “The denial of territorial cohesion to the statements of the Minister of Agriculture leaves no doubt: the Minister of Agriculture has lied in the performance of her duties.” Even more than the seriousness of the “lie”, CAP, led by Eduardo Oliveira e Sousa, emphasizes that it is also “very serious that the future composition of the CCDR does not include a top person responsible for managing the portfolio of Agriculture and the rural world”.
For the CAP, Portuguese agriculture loses competitiveness every day, wastes resources and does not mobilize the necessary resources for the development of the sector. “The pointless dismantling of the Ministry of Agriculture is ongoing,” he reiterates, pointing out that the disappearance of the Regional Directorates of Agriculture (DRA) without attempting to restructure the CCDR means that “the main tool” to help farmers to the State in the territory and monitors the implementation and follow-up of community funds. “It’s unfortunate.”
For the institution headed by Eduardo Oliveira e Sousa, who this week it was omitted from the list of follow-up structures of the implementation plan for the common agricultural policy (PEPAC) – an omission that the guardianship corrected yesterday, complaining about the “decay outside the ministry” – all proving that the institutions are not working.
CAP is now calling directly on the Prime Minister to look at what is happening in the sector and “resolve the incomprehensible lack of coordination between ministries so that it ends the successive displays of incompetence and bring order to the government “.
According to CAP, “On the one hand, the incompetence must be put to an end and it must be clearly communicated what will happen to the DRA after its disappearance and integration into the CCDR. The situation of uncertainty is not in the interest of the country, does not serve the sector and unnecessarily creates enormous instability and unrest among Portuguese farmers.”
Source: DN
