Coldiretti Cuneo protest in Brussels against scrapping social conditionality in the CAP
News of
A delegation of young farmers from the province of Cuneo, together with peers under 35 from across Piedmont, takes part in Brussels in a demonstration organised by EFFAT (European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions) to defend social conditionality in the future 2028-2034 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Also taking part in the protest are Romano Magrini, Coldiretti's national head of labour affairs, and Arianna Giuliodori, director of Coldiretti Brussels.[1][2]
What the protest is about
The demonstration objects to the European Union's decision to scrap social conditionality from the new CAP, which had tied the disbursement of European agricultural funds to compliance with rules on farm workers' working and employment conditions, including health and safety at work. According to the protest's organisers, the decision was backed by Copa, chaired by Massimiliano Giansanti.[1][2]
Coldiretti Cuneo's position
Enrico Nada, president of Coldiretti Cuneo, said: «European farmers' money cannot end up in the pockets of those who exploit workers. It would be a gift to those who practise caporalato (illegal labour brokering) and undeclared work, and a slap in the face to the vast majority of farms that follow the rules».[1][2] Francesco Goffredo, director of Coldiretti Cuneo, added: «We will not accept steps backward on a fight for legality that Coldiretti has always carried forward, starting with its support for the 2016 law against caporalato. The CAP must reward those who produce while respecting rights, not those who gain unfair advantage by exploiting labour».[1][2]
Background
The protest coincides with the tenth anniversary of Italy's law against caporalato, passed in 2016, which Coldiretti helped bring about through its own Agromafie Observatory.[1][2]
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