Press release no. 137 from 06.07.11Federal Minister Aigner: 2012 budget constitutes a sound basis for a viable future agricultural and consumer policy

Federal Minister Ilse Aigner, Source: BMELV / BILDSCHÖN

The Minister stressed that agricultural social security policy still enjoyed high priority in order to guarantee the social protection of farmers. This important area of national agricultural policy accounts for almost two-thirds of the expenditure in section 10 (Euro 3.8 billion). A federal subsidy of Euro 175 million has been set aside for agricultural accident insurance. Of this sum, Euro 75 million are dedicated to the goal of cushioning the effects of the desired creation of a uniform federal agency for agricultural social insurance. This takes up a demand from professional associations. However, the funds will only be released if this uniform federal agency is actually set up.

"The Joint Task for the Improvement of Agricultural Structures and Coastal Protection, our most important promotion policy tool for agricultural structures, coastal protection and rural areas, has been assigned Euro 600 million as it was in 2011", commented Aigner. "This helps to strengthen the competitiveness of our companies and makes a major contribution to maintaining the attractiveness of rural areas."

Euro 148.6 million have been earmarked for consumer policy. The slight drop in the amount compared to 2011 results from the planned reduction in subsidies serving to increase the endowment capital of the Stiftung Warentest (German Consumer Foundation) and the Deutsche Stiftung Verbraucherschutz (German Foundation for Consumer Protection). Consumer protection also encompasses the expenditure (Euro 65.7 million) of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) (Euro 37.5 million). This safeguards the organisational and legislative measures aiming to strengthen consumer health protection.

The important areas of research and innovation have again been bolstered. A total of Euro 307 million are available for the four federal research institutes of BMELV. These resources are used, amongst other things, to lay the scientific foundations for political decisions on the federal and EU levels. Furthermore, the budget estimates for the promotion of innovation and renewable resources have both been increased by Euro 6 million compared with 2011. In addition, funds of the Energy and Climate Fund are to be made available to extend the sustainable use of bioenergy as a contribution to the turnaround in energy policy.