Working meeting between AWPL’s leadership and Vice-Minister of Agriculture

Waldemar Tomaszewski, the leader of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania [Polish: Akcja Wyborcza Polaków na Litwie; AWPL], chaired a working meeting between the leadership of AWPL and the Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Leokadia Poczykowska.

The leadership of AWPL parliamentary group participated in the meeting: the leader and vice-leader, Rita Tamašunienė and Wanda Krawczonok, the Mayors of Vilnius and Šalčininkai regions Municipalities, Maria Rekść and Zdzisław Palewicz, and the Vice-Mayor of Vilnius, Jarosław Kamiński.

A number of issues important for voters were discussed during the working meeting, including the legal circumstances of the land return process and its concrete performance in the district municipalities of Vilnius Region (which do not possess legal authority over the land return process) and the city of Vilnius (where the land return process depends on the National Agricultural Service [Polish: Narodowa Służba Rolna] at the Ministry of Agriculture and capital city government).

It is essential to equalize the amount of the direct agricultural subsidies.

During the meeting, the politicians were discussing the general issues connected with the national and European agricultural policy and direct agricultural subsidies. They agreed that farmers working on infertile lands received increased direct subsidies, however, not everywhere. Farmers working on the suburban area do not have such a possibility, despite the fact that the land is not fertile here as well. The main reason of this situation is the current methodology which includes the criterion of population density, therefore, most districts are not able to meet this requirement and farmers are deprived of the possibility of receiving increased direct agricultural subsidies. The leader of AWPL, Waldemar Tomaszewski, stressed an urgent need to improve the situation so all farmers working on infertile land could receive equal subsidies. The participants of the meeting emphasized the importance of a fair land return process. According to them, the forests sell-off decision made by the previous coalition was incorrect and contributed to the abuse of law. The previous government would have solved the problem better if they had compensated the farmers with the direct allotment of additional parts of forests.

The politicians explored also the possibility for improving the compensation system in relation to the lost land.

The participants discussed another important issue concerning compensation for the lost land with building plots, especially in Vilnius where there is so much to do. In order to improve the whole process, they decided to join forces with members of AWPL working in the capital city government and other ministries. The two hours long meeting was held in concrete and constructive atmosphere. Similar events are planned to occur in the near future.

Press Office of AWPL

Source: http://kurierwilenski.lt/2013/02/01/spotkanie-robocze-kierownictwa-awpl-z-wiceministrem-rolnictwa-2/

Tłumaczenie Karolina Rolka w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Karolina Rolka the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.