mr president mr tremosa i balcells raised the issue of low-cost production in agriculture and it is an issue which i have huge concerns about as do many others in this house
however i am more concerned about the commission and how they view agriculture rural areas and indeed the food industry because in the eu twenty twenty strategy they seem to have almost forgotten about this vital sector of the european union
i would urge the commission not to ignore this important area
i hope that it does not reflect a view that this sector is not important any more particularly as we look at reforming the european union's budget
i would remind the commission that the agriculture and food sector is vital for food security reasons for environmental protection reasons and for jobs in rural areas
i think that this view needs to be reflected in the eu twenty twenty strategy
i thank a young farmers organisation in ireland macra na feirme who represent men and women for bringing this matter to my attention and i hope the commission is listening
