The European Commissioner-designate for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, spared no effort on Tuesday 8 October, during his second hearing before MEPs, to defend the maintenance of the common character of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and sufficient funds to meet the many challenges facing EU farmers (see EUROPE 12343/3, 12339/4).
It was a much more precise and committed Commissioner-designate who appeared before the MEPs of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee. Thus, after the hearing, a majority of the political groups’ coordinators of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee recommended supporting the candidacy of Janusz Wojciechowski from Poland for the post of Agriculture Commissioner in the new Commission.
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to clarify my approach and role", said the Commissioner-designate for Agriculture at the beginning of the hearing. He defended a CAP that was "more competitive, greener and more innovative". During his term of office, he also intends to work for a more effective and equitable CAP and defend "a strong, relevant and adequate budget" during the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027.
Janusz Wojciechowski also advocated further simplification of CAP rules and pledged to "reduce bureaucracy".
Identical standards for non-Member State importers. He also wished to reassure the improvement of the agriculture's position on world markets by defending free trade agreements, but also by ensuring "to promote, in negotiations with trading partners, the EU's high standards in the fields of climate, environment and animal welfare". EU standards will have to be respected when importing food into the European market, the Commissioner-designate insisted. He called for compliance with the same standards by EU and non-Member State producers.
Mr Wojciechowski advocated a realistic implementation of the ‘European Green Deal’, with "incentives rather than bans", in particular through a "voluntary" system of eco-schemes (ecological programmes). He also intends to promote organic agriculture (action plan).
A CAP that must remain common. He reassured MEPs on the need to maintain a common CAP. "I share the anxiety shown at the first hearing on 1 October". The CAP must therefore maintain common objectives and indicators, he said. This community aspect must be preserved, but flexibility must be allowed. He acknowledged that it would be necessary to engage in a "balancing" act in order to find a compromise on this aspect of the CAP reform proposals.
Convergence and land grabbing. Mr Wojciechowski pledged to "accelerate the process" of internal (between farmers within the same country) and external (between EU countries and regions) convergence and promised to closely monitor the problem of land grabbing: "We must defend threatened farmers. I want to try to implement the European Parliament's suggestions on access to land", he promised.
Finally, he defended the "diversity" of farm types and sizes, after having, during his first hearing, strongly stressed the need to defend family businesses (he had spoken out against intensive agriculture...)
Mr Wojciechowski, who was applauded after his hearing, answered 13 questions on different topics.
In response to a question from Paolo De Castro (S&D, Italy) on Washington's threat to hit European products with $7.5 billion worth of punitive tariffs (in the context of the battle between Boeing and Airbus), Janusz Wojciechowski said he was ready, if necessary, to assess the impact of these US measures on European farmers and trigger "an aid scheme to compensate farmers for their losses".
Asked by several MEPs about the post-2020 CAP, he supported MEPs' amendments in favour of a 20% share of aid for eco-schemes and an increase in the agricultural reserve envelope in the event of a crisis. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)