Farm Europe and Eat Europe call on the European Parliament rapporteur, Mr. Mato, not to give in to opposing pressures and to continue defending European rice growers without hesitation or compromise.
The rice sector has welcomed the openness shown for over a month by the European institutions toward the automatic activation of the safeguard clause — a fundamental instrument to protect European production from market imbalances and unfair competition.
This was a demand that Farm Europe and Eat Europe had been advocating since the very first actions launched last spring.
However, we cannot accept any onerous conditions or watered-down compromises that the rapporteur might be prepared to negotiate. European rice growers are already facing a deep crisis, worsened by massive imports at unsustainable prices and by unequal production standards compared to those imposed on EU operators.
A step forward that is not shared by all European Parliament rapporteurs would risk dealing a fatal blow to a strategic sector, one that stands as a symbol of quality, sustainability, and agricultural tradition.
European rice growers cannot be sacrificed on the altar of other economic or geopolitical interests. It is time for the European institutions to show coherence and courage in defending those who, every day, work to ensure food security, environmental protection, and the stewardship of rural territories.
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O artigo foi publicado originalmente em Farm Europe.
