While the mobilization of the agricultural world has intensified in recent days, Gabriel Attal and several ministers unveiled new measures on Thursday to try to respond to farmers’ demands.
Two watchwords: “produce and protect”. Two days after the announcements made for French agriculture during his general policy declaration, Gabriel Attal presented, Thursday February 1 in Matignon, a new round of measures to respond to the demands of farmers mobilized throughout France. The Ministers of Economy, Agriculture and Ecological Transition, Bruno Le Maire, Marc Fesneau and Christophe Béchu, also took turns to detail these announcements, the cost of which is estimated at 400 million euros. Here’s what you need to remember.
The objective of food sovereignty enshrined in law
The Prime Minister announced his desire to register “the objective of food sovereignty in the law”that is to say the capacity of a country to produce its own food. “We will do it with farmers on the basis of clear indicators defined with them”And “we will enshrine agriculture as a fundamental interest of the nation in the Rural Code”detailed Gabriel Attal.
“It is not a sovereignty taken away from itself, because I do not forget that our agriculture is one of our main exporting sectors, with cereals, wines, spirits, dairy products. But it is a openness with rules of reciprocity and the same requirements for all”he added.
An envelope of 150 million euros for breeders
The government will devote “150 million euros in fiscal and social support from this year and in the long term”announced the Prime Minister. “Our breeders need specific support”justified Gabriel Attal, specifying that“working with the sector will make it possible to clarify the terms and conditions”.
Bruno Le Maire had already announced in October a tax exemption measure for cattle breeders. But the National Bovine Federation announced at the end of January a “extremely strong disappointment” breeders on this subject.
A “massive phase of control” in supermarkets and manufacturers
The Minister of the Economy announced “10,000 checks” on products claiming French origin, by their labeling or the presence of a tricolor flag. Sanctions in the event of an infraction could reach 10% of the turnover of manufacturers or distributors who have committed fraud, specified Bruno Le Maire.
Regarding compliance with Egalim laws, which aim to guarantee a minimum income to farmers, “all the largest retail chains will be controlled in the coming days without exception”, and private labels are also concerned, announced the minister. He also pointed out the growing use of European purchasing centers by distributors to obtain supplies, recalling that “French law applies completely”even in this context.
The government also announced a “evaluation mission” Egalim laws. A report on this subject will be submitted “by spring” and must “open the way to improving and strengthening the law”specified the Minister of the Economy.
A “pause” of the Ecophyto pesticide reduction plan
The government will suspend the Ecophyto plan, which should make it possible to reduce the use of pesticides, announced the Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau. “We are going to rework the Ecophyto plan, putting it on hold, while we rework a certain number of aspects and simplify it.”
Gabriel Attal had said a little earlier that Ecophyto would be “stopped while a new indicator is put in place”. The central indicator of the plan, Nodu, which measures the use of molecules by farmers, is contested by several agricultural organizations.
The Ecophyto plan aims to halve the use of pesticides by 2030 (compared to 2015-2017) and accelerate the search for alternatives. This plan was immediately rejected by producers of major crops (cereals, oil seeds, sugar, beets).
Measures against unfair competition
Gabriel Attal also announced that he would take “without delay a safeguard clause” to ban imports of agricultural products using thiacloprid, a pesticide banned in Europe, but which can be found in imports of certain products. According to him, this decision represents an example of “safeguard clause” or “mirror measurement” – a mechanism which requires imported products to respect the same rules as those imposed on European farmers – which France can take to avoid “unfair competition”.
Gabriel Attal also asked that the question of limiting Ukrainian grain imports into the EU be included in a future negotiation. The EU has not included cereals in a list of “sensitive” products on which imports can be curbed.
An exception to the prairie rule
The Prime Minister is committed to relaxing the rules requiring farmers to maintain grassland areas by applying “an exemption from the relocation obligation for one year”.
“We must get back around the table to better protect our meadows, which are essential to our landscapes and the fight against climate change, while getting out of totally absurd situations where farmers are forced to reestablish meadows even though they have stopped their breeding activity”he justified.
Raising the exemption thresholds on agricultural inheritances
The government will raise the exemption thresholds for agricultural inheritances, announced Gabriel Attal. “It is through new generations that we will ensure the sustainability of our agriculture”he argued.
The main change on inheritance concerns capital gains on transfers of individual businesses: currently set at 500,000 euros for a total exemption and up to one million euros for a partial exemption, the thresholds will be raised respectively to 700 000 euros and 1.2 million euros, “in the event of takeover of a farm by a young farmer”detailed Bruno Le Maire.
In addition to raising these thresholds, the government intends to launch a mission on agricultural transmissions to facilitate generational renewal in agriculture. “This will take a few months and could be transposed as part of the finance bill for 2025”declared the Minister of the Economy.
Immediate partial reimbursement of the tax on non-road diesel
The government has promised that from July, the tax rebate that farmers benefit from on non-road diesel (NGR) would be applied upon purchase, and no longer after the fact with proof. In the meantime, they can “benefit from the 50% advance on the GNR reimbursement”as announced by Gabriel Attal on Friday, “since this [jeudi] Morning”specified the Minister of the Economy, affirming that the payment would be “carried out within ten to fifteen days maximum”.
Installation aids
To encourage generational renewal, “two billion euros” will be released to facilitate the granting of loans to newly established farmers in order to “allow investments or the resumption of operations”, recalled Marc Fesneau. The Minister of Agriculture thus confirmed the amount of the State-guaranteed loan (PGE) already included in November in the 2024 budget. The envelope for installation support will also increase from 13 million to 20 million euros for “better support” young farmers. Finally, the agricultural sector will be recognized as “in tension”a status which provides companies with recruitment assistance.