The political charm offensive against European farmers is entering the next round: representatives of the EU states in Brussels have given the green light for further relief for farmers.
The majority of representatives from EU states have spoken out in favor of allowing more relaxed environmental regulations for farmers. A majority of member states supported corresponding proposals from the European Commission in a special committee for agriculture, the EU states said. This addresses the concerns of farmers.
The stated aim of the project is to reduce administrative burdens for farmers and to give them more flexibility in complying with certain environmental regulations. The Commission announced the proposals to change the EU’s agricultural policy in the middle of the month – the plan is to push them through in an urgent procedure. If there is a majority in the European Parliament in April, the changes could come into force at the end of spring. When the current rules for EU agricultural policy were originally negotiated, it was a years-long process within the EU institutions.
Standards for good agricultural condition of soils
The Commission’s proposals include, among other things, standards that are intended to ensure the good agricultural and ecological condition of soils. In principle, farmers must adhere to these in order to benefit from the EU agricultural subsidies worth billions. This involves, for example, the requirements for fallow land and crop rotations, which are intended to ensure that soils are not unduly affected by agricultural use.
So far, for example, farmers have been obliged to leave part of their arable land fallow or to use it unproductively. The Commission has now proposed that this should only be made voluntary. The member states should in turn reward farmers who leave land fallow despite relaxing the regulations.
Özdemir sees environmental protection at risk
From the perspective of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the proposed changes reduce the environmental protection ambitions of the common EU agricultural policy. The ministry said in a statement after the commission had presented its proposals that they wanted to push for adjustments. Cutting bureaucracy should not mean that environmental protection suffers, said Minister Cem Özdemir. “What we think we have lost today will have to be rebuilt all the more laboriously,” said the Green politician.
Communication from the EU states
Source: Stern
