Proposition 53K1561

Projet de loi modifiant la loi-programme du 23 décembre 2009 en ce qui concerne l'aide à l'agriculture.

General information ¶

Authors

LE Catherine Fonck
MR Daniel Bacquelaine, Philippe Goffin, Damien Thiéry
Open Vld Herman De Croo

Submission date

June 8, 2011

Official page

Visit

Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

drought agricultural holding aid to agriculture indemnification

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

Groen CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP ∉ Open Vld N-VA LDD MR VB

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Discussion ¶

July 19, 2011 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

In the absence of the speaker, Mr. Peter Dedecker, I refer to his written report.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Minister, Mr. Colleagues, as you know, farmers suffered, last spring, turns after turns the effects of drought – a little less the case, today you will agree – and the disastrous economic consequences due to the false warning related to the spread of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Indeed, you ⁇ remember that a certain type of product was unjustly accused of being at the base of this epidemic.

The distress experienced by farmers is all the more noticeable as this new crisis follows the global crisis that has weighed heavily on international prices since 2009.

In the face of this exceptional situation, we took the lead and submitted a bill aimed at helping farmers.

In the wake of the crisis in the dairy sector and the various difficulties encountered in the pork sector, the government had decided, as part of its Programme Act of 23 December 2009, to take specific measures to support farmers. These measures consisted in reducing the tax on EU support measures. More specifically, it was the reduction from 16.5 to 12.5 percent of the tax rate on single payment entitlements (Single Payment Entitlements) and on breastfeeding cows premiums. It also included a total taxation of investment aid for natural persons and a taxation of 5% of investment aid on corporate tax. This arrangement was planned for a three-year period, namely for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 financial years.

We propose today to extend these measures by two years to make them applicable to the tax years 2012 and 2013.

Regional governments have, from time to time, called on the federal government to take a number of measures.

At the moment, we are not just talking. We are acting. We can welcome the broad support of the political formations to this proposal, which has enabled a quick adoption of the text in committees in response to the urgent and exceptional nature of the situation in the agricultural sector. And I am pleased that farmers can begin, serenely, the 77th edition of the Libramont Agricultural Fair, which will begin on Friday.

Mr. Speaker, CD&V welcomes the proposal submitted by the colleagues. It is important that we have decided to extend the measures of the 2009 Programme Act for two years.

Many agricultural companies are very difficult today. One year could only have supported the ongoing projects. A two-year period will provide the sector with greater legal certainty so that stakeholders can take initiatives for the next year, ⁇ with regard to investment aid.

The second and third measures also aim to reduce the tax measures from 16,5 to 12 % in the personal tax. This provides additional support in moments when it is very difficult. The industry is now under great pressure, including from the international markets.

This can be a support. It will not help them, but it means that there are political parties in the federal Parliament that agree with the sector and believe that Belgian agriculture and horticulture should be able to survive, although there are still resolutions this afternoon that may prove the opposite.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, etc. Proof of the effects of this year’s drought, farmers requested the organization of Commissions for the assessment of damage to crops in 156 municipalities, only in the Walloon Region. Some Dutch-speaking colleagues may know the figures for the Flemish Region.

The impact of drought on the yield of crops and grasslands is established. Its magnitude will simply depend on the duration of the drought period. Even though it has been raining for more than ten days now, some fields are still heavily affected by drought. The most striking difficulty is not visible at the moment, but it will intervene directly in the winter, since the food reserves that were supposed to accumulate this spring for the winter are not there! Some have already said that this will create significant pressure on feed and straw prices, despite a series of measures taken at the regional level.

This exceptional situation has impacts on agricultural yields, whether at the level of prairies or feedgroups, but also on the income generated by crops, on dairy producers who are still weakened by the crisis of 2009 and on bovine meat producers who are also subject to a downward price pressure.

For this reason, it was crucial to support farmers in a clear way and to continue the 2009 tax measures that were no longer in place. They have demonstrated to come in support of farmers and to fully measure their difficulties.

The regional ministers have made a call in this regard. This call finds its realization here. This was ⁇ important to us. I would like to thank all the groups that have joined this proposal positively.

The Government welcomes the vote of this measure, in particular the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Finance. They are very pleased that Parliament seeks the opportunity to extend the measures of the program law.