The European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA) has warned that the journey to the next EU long-term budget will be "long and treacherous for Europe’s young farmers".

CEJA made the comments as the EU Commission yesterday (Wednesday, February 12) published a communication on "The Road to the next Multiannual Financial Framework".

The document outlines the key policy and budgetary challenges that will shape the design of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) or long-term budget.

The commission, which has also opened a period of public consultation, said the plan "lays the groundwork for reflections on how to adapt the EU's long-term budget to evolving needs and priorities".

A week ahead of the publication of the Vision for the Future of Agriculture, CEJA said that this communication "lays the groundwork for a bitter reality check".

"Europe’s young farmers want to express their deep concerns and scepticism about the methodological shift suggested by the executive," it said.

While the details of each specific policy remain to be discussed, CEJA warned the European Commission and member states against any lowered ambition for agriculture, rural development and youth policies.

“For months now, CEJA’s community of young farmers from all over Europe has discussed with much anxiety the idea of a single-fund MFF that could affect the commonality of agricultural policy and further hamper youth representation and rural mainstreaming," Peter Meedendorp, CEJA president, said.

"The message sent yesterday by the European Commission can be rather disconcerting: we place generational renewal at the core of our strategy – yet take the risk of dismantling the ambition of the very core structural policies that have supported their working and living conditions," he added.

Although this communication is "a first reflection on a long legislative path", CEJA said that young farmers remain committed to the strong consensus reached only five months ago by the Strategic Dialogue on the future of agriculture.

This outlined the need for a dedicated and commensurate budget for the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) to support the sector in its efforts to reach its objectives by mid-century.

CEJA said that while simplification remains an important objective, it should not be "used as a catchword", nor as "a justification to dismantle structural policies which have proven their worth".

The organisation has demanded a clear signal from the commission in next week’s Vision on the Future of Agriculture that it is ready to support agriculture and rural areas by establishing a clear, dedicated pathway to support their ambitions.