Primary sector protests in Brussels over EU cuts
Agricultural professionals from the archipelago were among the 10,000 demonstrators across Europe, protesting cuts and reforms that could cost the sector €300 billion. Lola García spoke from the Cabildo in support of the demands, and the Government of the Canary Islands was present at the protests.
The Cabildo of Fuerteventura and the Government of the Canary Islands joined the Canary primary‑sector protests in Brussels, warning that the European Commission’s proposal to overhaul the Community Programme for the Support of Agricultural Production in the Canary Islands (POSEI) poses a serious risk.
On Thursday, 18 December, the island’s Agricultural Professional Organisations (OPAs)—PALCA, ASAGA, UPA and COAG—took part in a mobilisation that gathered 10,000 primary‑sector workers from across the European Union. They demonstrated against the agricultural cuts foreseen in the new 2028‑2034 Multi‑annual Financial Framework (MFF).
- The primary‑sector professionals reject free‑trade agreements they deem unfair competition.
- They demand regulatory simplification to reduce the bureaucratic burden on farmers and livestock breeders.
- The protest also denounces a more‑than‑20 % cut in funding for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which would translate into a €300 billion reduction for the seven‑year period.
COAG: “The Effects Could Be Devastating in the Canary Islands”
“The reform being proposed puts our agriculture, our livestock sector, and the food security of everyone living in Europe at risk.” – President of COAG Canarias
“In the Canary Islands the effects could be even more devastating, which is why we have come to Brussels to demand a differentiated treatment for the RUP, a fair trade policy, real simplification, and a support framework that allows us to keep delivering the positive values of the archipelago’s primary sector.”
Lola García: “POSEI Is Not a Privilege, but a Recognized Compensation”
Lola García, President of the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, warned that the Commission’s proposal could open the door to a possible renationalisation of POSEI, creating uncertainty for a sector already vulnerable.
“POSEI is an essential tool for sustaining the primary sector on islands like Fuerteventura, where farmers and breeders face significant extra costs due to remoteness, insularity and climatic conditions.”
“We are not talking about privileges, but about compensations recognised by the European Union for ultra‑peripheral regions. Weakening POSEI would question that principle and jeopardise the continuity of many farms.”
Canary Government Criticises the State’s Financial Non‑Compliance
In a statement reaffirming support for the protests, the regional executive blamed the Spanish State for failing to meet its obligations under POSEI.
The additional POSEI financing that the State was supposed to provide “has never been effectively transferred, as the last three campaigns received only the €21 million ordinary allocation.”
Consequently, the Canary Government covered the shortfall with its own funds:
- 2022 campaign – €5.5 million (paid by the autonomous community in 2023)
- 2023 campaign – €8.2 million (covered in 2024)
- 2024 campaign – €11.2 million (currently funded)
Total advanced by the Canary Government: €24.9 million to compensate for the State’s defaults.
The executive warns that restructuring POSEI and the CAP would jeopardise the programme’s financing and the equality between ultra‑peripheral producers and the rest of the EU.
It reiterates its defence of POSEI as a differentiated instrument with stable EU funding, essential for food sovereignty and social cohesion across the archipelago.