After the meeting, he continues to call for a clear yes or no from the government on whether to find more money to help the profession with the transition.
– We do not know what the government wants. It is not the case that the government is definitively saying no to coming up with more money. That is the positive thing about the meeting. But they have also not thought about what it takes to land an agreement, says Troels Lund Poulsen.
After more than 60 negotiation meetings with the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Rasmus Prehn (S) in the Ministry of Food, the negotiations have this week been moved to the Ministry of Finance.
It must be seen as a sign that the negotiations must now find a conclusion, stated Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) this weekend.
– Now the political negotiations on agriculture are entering its final phase. And let me make it very clear today: Agriculture must, of course, be covered by a binding reduction target, said Mette Frederiksen in her speech at the Social Democrats’ congress in Aalborg.
At the same time, she made it clear that the government’s starting point is not more money for agriculture.
– We are negotiating for 22 billion kroner. That’s a pretty big amount.
– And one must keep in mind that when the blue bloc wants to spend more money, then it is the taxpayers’ money they are talking about. If you use them on agriculture, then there is something else we can not prioritize, says Mette Frederiksen.
However, that statement does not give Troels Lund Poulsen much for:
– It is simply manipulation when the Prime Minister says that there are 22 billion kroner a year. DKK 17 billion will come from the EU for Danish agriculture and food production. It is not something they burden the Danish economy. We pay for this through our EU contingent.
– So it is 100 percent wrong to say that we spend 22 billion kroner, and it affects Danish welfare.
– But the green transition will cost jobs if you do not make an intelligent investment in it. Just as we have done in other sectors.
Question: So you’re leaving the negotiations if no more money comes?
– If the government says that there will be no more money than what is on the table now, then it is the same as saying that you do not want to make a broad agreement, says Troels Lund Poulsen.
Source: The Nordic Page
