The EU Parliament has discussed wide-ranging reforms to the agricultural sector, but farmers are dissatisfied and environmentalists criticise the move as a lack of commitment to combating climate change.
The EU Parliament didn’t exactly pick the most attractive time to debate one of Europe’s biggest challenges. In Strasbourg this evening, lawmakers debated how the EU could reshape its common agricultural policy, which is ultimately the second-largest item in the EU budget over which parliament has a say.
There is no doubt that change is needed. Almost one in three euros of the EU’s multi-annual budget goes to agriculture, yet many farms are fighting for survival. At the same time, experts believe that too little is being done to effectively combat climate change and species loss in the agricultural sector.
Response to the protests
However, the EU went so far as to relax the requirements before the European elections in response to protests from farmers across Europe. This means that farmers will no longer be required to leave some fields fallow to protect species. Member states will have more discretion to apply rules on land cover and crop rotation. In fact, they will have to make sure that the soil is not depleted too much for agricultural purposes. Small companies will no longer have to expect control or punishment.
A year ago, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also presented a proposal for a fundamental restructuring of the Common Agricultural Policy. She recently presented it, and the recommendations, which were joined by farmers’ associations, environmentalists and food companies, are tough. The EU should therefore end the current practice of direct payments based on area. After all, large companies, which are often better than average, get more.
More targeted funding
Instead, more targeted support should be provided to businesses that really need it, such as small farms, young farmers and new immigrants. Farmers should also be better rewarded for operating in an environmentally friendly way. The Commission did not say how high the next seven-year agricultural budget should be. To that end, the EU “absolutely” wants to promote a reduction in meat consumption. The interests of European farmers should be given more importance when negotiating trade agreements with non-EU countries.
During the debate, MPs from various political groups stressed that the reform proposals were drawn up by very different organizations. The Christian Democratic Party (EPP) group, which includes CDU and CSU MPs, supports the plan in principle but rejects any interference in Europeans’ eating habits.
Green Party Talks Groundbreaking Reforms
The EPP believes that EU agriculture needs to become more competitive and that support for young farmers is important. The Social Democrats would welcome a move away from regional payments in favor of more targeted funding. They accuse the CDU of blocking this in parliament so far.
The Greens talk about a groundbreaking reform document. They like the idea that the financial incentives recommended for environmental services should not only compensate for lost income but also provide real added value. But the fundamental goodwill of the pro-European parliamentary group should not obscure the fact that implementing the reform proposals (even partially) will be extremely difficult. Commission President von der Leyen made this point when she presented her plan a week and a half ago. The devil is in the details.
