Farm groups from across Europe attended a meeting in Brussels to urge the EU to minimise the "severe impact" numerous uncertainties could bring, including Brexit.
Faced with cuts under the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), uncertainties on trade and Brexit, European farmers and agri-cooperatives attended the meeting to urge the EU for more coherence between policies.
Sixty-six representatives of farmers and cooperative organisations across the EU attended the meeting to voice their concerns.
Copa, an EU agricultural cooperative, said it is "disappointed and unacceptable" that farmers in the EU have to do more with less money.
Copa President Joachim Rukwied said EU farmers are upset with the EU Commission's proposal on the future CAP.
"It is unacceptable that more and more is being asked of farmers in terms of respecting tough food safety, welfare and environmental requirements for less and less money," Mr Rukwied said.
"Another major concern is the fact that the technology tool box that farmers rely on to maintain their competitiveness is being eroded every day.
He added: "We are very proud of our production standards. More coherence between policies is vital to ensure that they are maintained".
Mercosur
The upcoming trade talks with the Latin American trade bloc Mercosur were also touched upon, with farmers fearing standards will weaken to make room for what they say is "unfair competition."
Farmers have frequently blasted the trade talks between the EU and Mercosur, who say that the South American countries do not come close to matching the food safety, animal welfare or environmental standards which farmers comply with across Europe.
"Trade concessions must be minimised for our more sensitive sectors, namely beef, sugar, poultry, ethanol, rice and orange juice imports as well as any imbalances in the negotiations on the agri-food chapter", added Rukwied.
"We urge Member States and MEPs to support our views in order to revive growth and jobs in rural Europe."
Spanish olives
EU agri-coperative Cogeca said farmers "regret" the United States' decision to impose punitive import duties on Spanish table olives, saying that it clearly amounts to protectionism.
The US has concluded that Spanish olives should face import duties because they benefit from unfair subsidies.
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) will make a final determination on July 24 on the Spanish olive imports that were worth $67.6 million in 2017. The European Commission would consider possible further action after this.
President Magnusson concluded: “The farming community supports the development of an agricultural sector which is based on family holdings and which enables rural areas to flourish.
"It is in our common interest to develop good, balanced trading relations between the farming community in the EU and other parts of the world."
