The European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said on Monday 30 May that the context of the war in Ukraine started by Russia should not be used as a “pretext” to postpone the implementation of initiatives stemming from the ‘European Green Deal’.
He also told the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee that increasing agricultural production in Europe is not a panacea to help our partners in the world. He called for assistance to Ukraine (economic and logistical support), improved sustainable local production and a reduction in our dependence on certain third countries.
Responding to comments and questions from several MEPs, including Herbert Dorfmann (EPP, Italy), Ulrike Müller (Renew Europe, Germany) and Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA, Germany), Commissioner Sinkevičius agreed with the need to find a balance between food production and environmental protection.
He defended the Commission’s measures to stabilise agricultural markets, develop production capacity and use some set-aside land for food production, but these were “short-term solutions”, he insisted.
He defended set-aside land as an “environmental bonus”.
Food shortages. Mr Sinkevičius admitted that the war had led to food shortages in Africa and the Near East. He said it was necessary to “put pressure” on Russia to agree to unblock ports in the Black Sea.
20 million tonnes of grain are blocked in ports in the Black Sea. The EU’s action plan on ‘solidarity lanes’ aims to move 1.3 to 1.4 million tonnes of grain per month. “We could get to 3 million tonnes per month, but that’s not enough”, Virginijus Sinkevičius admitted. He spoke of the risk of a global food crisis, with “effects on the EU” due to high consumer prices for agricultural products.
The European Commission’s first Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, said on 5 May that there will be “no hunger in Europe because of the war in Ukraine”, although he acknowledged “price problems”. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)