At friday's Conference of Agriculture Ministers (AMK), the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Julia Klöckner, appealed to the federal states to comply with the requirements for foreign seasonal workers to enter the country. The control of health and safety at work as well as the accommodation and hygiene situation is known to be their responsibility for good reasons. In the run-up to the conference, State Secretary Beate Kasch had contacted her counterparts on this matter and asked for the state reports on the countries to be sent. The Federal Ministry also suggested keeping close contact with the health authorities on site as part of district talks.

Julia Klöckner: “After the entry stop for foreign seasonal workers, it was the common wish - including the state minister - to find a solution. Harvesting and sowing must be secured. Our ministry presented this together with the Federal Minister of the Interior and with the involvement of the Robert Koch Institute: We have created a responsible corridor for entry - under strict infection protection requirements.

In order to maintain the acceptance of the population for these regulations, the countries are now in demand. Constitutionally, it is their job to ensure compliance with the requirements and effective control. Especially in the sense of the many farms that comply with the regulations, they have to fulfill this responsibility. Because the alternative would be that the solution found cannot continue in its current form. "

The ministry also supports the functionality of the agriculture and food industry with a bundle of measures. These include programs to secure the liquidity of companies, increases in additional earnings limits for short-time workers, retirees and students. The fact that seasonal workers can be employed for 115 instead of 70 days without social security also makes work in companies easier, reduces mobility and thus the risk of infection. Julia Klöckner emphasized that the agriculture and food industry are proving their capabilities even in times of crisis.

Common European agricultural policy

The reform of the Common European Agricultural Policy (CAP) was also discussed at the conference. Due to the corona pandemic, the schedule of the negotiation has changed. The vote in the European Parliament will only take place after the summer break. The Ministry therefore assumes that the new CAP regulations cannot be applied before January 1, 2023. At the AMK, Federal Minister Julia Klöckner emphasized that the Federal Government is therefore campaigning in Brussels for a two-year transitional arrangement. This ensures the continuation of direct payments and various funding programs. She further emphasized:

“Despite the additional challenges posed by the corona pandemic, we need to keep the CAP's core objectives such as income stabilization, environmental and climate protection and rural development in focus in the negotiations. The CAP is a unique selling point of the EU. That is why it is important to me that it is not subordinated to other strategies. Smart integration is required: Green deal, farm-to-fork strategy, GAP and budget have to be considered together. It must be clear that higher demands on agriculture are also offset financially. We need sufficient funding for this. ”