Det finns en stor upplevd orättvisa bland renskötande samer över bristen på finansiellt stöd för sin verksamhet. Den här orättvisan är inte bara upplevd utan reel, och det kan till och med vara en pågående diskriminering utifrån EU’s styrdokument.
Renskötseln är en traditionell näring och en central del av samisk kultur. Renskötsel, jakt och fiske är samernas primära livsmedelsproduktion, och den bör stödjas av EUs medlemsstater i linje med de strydokument som upprättats för primär livsmedelsproduktion.
Många motioner har skrivits med intention att verka för fler ekonomiska stöd till just samiska primärnäringar, och flera påtryckningar på Sveriges regering har gjorts. Utan att något resultat hittills kunnat ses. Nu måste ett större omtag göras och innefatta EU.
Samerådet har gjort en genomlysning med samiska ögon av EU Green deal plan. Av dokumentet framgår bl.a.:
”According to EU regulation (2021/2115) of 2 December 2021 Article 5, the EU shall aim to further improve the sustainable development of farming, food and rural areas and shall contribute to achieving economic, environmental and social spheres, which will contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This general objective is broken down to ten specific objectives of the CAP. The objectives are:
1. to ensure a fair income for farmers;
2. to increase competitiveness;
3. to improve the position of farmers in the food chain;
4. climate change action;
5. environmental care;
6. to preserve landscapes and biodiversity;
7. to support generational renewal;
8. vibrant rural areas;
9. to protect food and health quality;
10. fostering knowledge and innovation.
Each Member State shall design the interventions of their CAP Strategic Plan in accordance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the general principles of Union Law. It is the obligation of Member States to ensure that the CAP Strategic Plan is set out on the basis of objective and non-discriminatory criteria.”
”the CAP is an important strategy to support EU food production. The CAP regulation structure is complicated, and because of space constraints in this paper, Sweden is utilised as a case study to determine whether Sámi food production is included in this scheme. The general information regarding the CAP, on the other hand, is also valid for the Finnish part of Sápmi.
In general, the CAP’s subsidies fall into two categories: direct payments and rural development payments. Farmers receive direct payments depending on the quantity of land they use for agricultural purposes, while rural development payments fund particular activities such as environmental conservation, farm modernization, and rural infrastructure construction.
The EU Commission formally approved Sweden’s national agricultural strategic plan for 2023-2027 on October 28, 2022. Sweden’s CAP support system is structured around three pillars. These include direct payments to ensure a basic income, rural development assistance, and market-specific interventions. Sweden’s national strategy plan for 2023-2027 aims to boost agricultural productivity, viability, and competitiveness while maintaining animal welfare and seeking more ambition in environmental and climate standards. Another priority is to increase food production. The policy also aims to contribute to the development of Sweden’s rural areas, making them more appealing locations to live and work.
In the Swedish plan, Sámi food systems and food production is limited to reindeer husbandry. Except for start-up assistance to young reindeer herders, reindeer husbandry is only included in pillar three, rural development. A reindeer herder can receive EU financing for cottages, storage homes, and smaller trolleys for transporting reindeer as part of rural development in Sámi communities, as well as funding for corrals. Young reindeer herders may be eligible for start-up funding.
A young reindeer herder is qualified for start-up assistance if he or she is under the age of 40, the major focus of the business is meat production, educational requirements are met, and a three-year agreement with a mentor is signed. In 2023, the maximum start-up subsidy is SEK 300.000. The same regulations apply to new farmers. Finally, the EU can help Sámi businesses diversify and develop new products and services in rural areas.
The CAP does not provide basic income support for reindeer herders to ensure their sustainability. According to EU law, basic income support must be paid at a consistent amount per hectare. Sweden’s CAP strategic plan outlines what is suitable agricultural land and has identified land use for reindeer husbandry as ineligible for EU income assistance for sustainability.
This report was unable to discover why reindeer husbandry is not eligible for these EU programs. Reindeer herding receives little financial support from national programs rather than EU programs. Furthermore, reindeer husbandry is ineligible for any of the other CAP sectoral support schemes.”
I rapporten jämförs sedan en getbonde i Storumans kommun med en renskötare i samma kommun. De har samma antal djur, 350 st. Getbonden erhåller EUR 24 450 i inkomststöd årligen och renskötaren EUR 3 328, men då från nationellt stödprogram.
Därefter konstateras vidare:
”The example shows that, despite the fact that Sámi food production satisfies all of the goals of EU policy, EU decision-makers do not recognize it. According to the aforementioned EU regulation (2021/2115) of 2 December 2021, CAP implementation at the national level must be in compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the fundamental principles of Union Law. The arrangement seemed unjust to the reindeer herder. It is necessary to assess whether the current structure satisfies legal criteria by not including Sámi food producers in EU initiatives at the same level as traditional farmers. More research is needed to determine how EU schemes can be modified to include Sámi food production, as well as to determine whether the EU has an independent responsibility to ensure support mechanisms for Sámi food production.”
Inga tidigare framställande till Sveriges regering har resulterat i förbättringar i finansiellt stöd för samisk livsmedelsproduktion, trots att den uppfyller de villkor för livsmedelsproduktionen som CAP ställer. Startstöd och investeringsstödet ingår redan i stödsystemet.
Samelandspartiet vill att detta utreds vidare både utifrån om en diskriminering pågår, samt var i systemet hinder har rest för samiska livsmedelsproduktion att ingå i det stödsystem som ska tillförsäkra primärproducenten en skälig inkomst.
Vi föreslår därför
Att Sametinget tillsätter en utredning för att klargöra om diskriminering pågår
Att Sametinget tillsätter en utredning var i systemet hinder finns för att inkludera samiska livsmedelsproduktion i finansieringssystemet CAP.
Att Sametinget aktivt verkar för att samiskt livsmedelsproduktion ska omfattas av pelare 1 som innefattar direktstöd, sk. Inkomstgaranti, i Sveriges nationella Strategidokument för jordbrukspolitiken 2028-2032.
Stockholm den 28 maj 2024
Marianne Gråik