MEPs were divided, during a debate on Wednesday 17 January in Strasbourg, over the solutions to be found to appease angry farmers, who have been demonstrating mainly in Germany, but also elsewhere, notably in France and in Romania.
In Germany, the trigger was fuel taxation, but this is in addition to other problems linked in particular to the implementation of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), notably the ‘eco-regimes’.
The CAP deemed ineffective. Herbert Dorfmann (EPP, Italian) spoke of the frustration of farmers, as in Germany, “who are setting their limits”. “We need a strong Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)”, he suggested.
Farmers are being badly treated by the CAP, which is always being called into question, stressed Clara Aguilera (S&D, Spanish). She said that the CAP did not protect farmers enough. Ms Aguilera criticised the EPP and Greens/EFA groups for exploiting the plight of farmers for electoral purposes in the run-up to the European elections.
According to Ulrike Müller (Renew Europe, German), the problems facing farmers in Germany run deep. “We have to recognise that the old CAP has failed and we need a new CAP”, she said.
Norbert Lins (EPP, German) highlighted the progress made recently since Frans Timmermans left the Commission, and called on the Commission to suspend the rule requiring farmers to leave 4% of their fields fallow all year round.
Dacian Cioloș (Renew Europe, Romanian) considered the farmers’ protests to be legitimate. This movement is spreading to several EU countries, he noted.
Two opposing visions. Anne Sander (EPP, French) said that young farmers in France are angry. She supported measures to promote food security, such as increasing production.
“Agriculture is in crisis, it’s a structural problem”, stressed Benoît Biteau (Greens/EFA, French). In his view, pitting ecology against the economy needs to stop. For him, what threatens food sovereignty, farmers’ incomes, the climate and health “is this production model that requires the massive use of pesticides”.
Veronika Vrecionová (ECR, Czech) criticised the Commission for not listening to farmers by increasing environmental legislation, and raised the issue of future EU enlargement. Christine Anderson (ID, German) criticised the results of the European Green Deal which are leading to bankruptcies among farmers who are protesting.
Avenues for improvement. Most of the solutions to these problems in Germany and the Netherlands fall within the remit of the Member States, replied the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski. He said that the reformed CAP “will enable production to be stimulated. It cannot be said that the CAP aims to limit production”, he declared. He stated that the 4% rule for non-productive areas could be seen as a brake on agricultural production. However, in his view, the political will is needed at EU Council and European Parliament level to review this rule. France has asked that this 4% be used to produce protein crops rather than cereals. “It’s a measure worth considering”, he said.
With regard to the problem of imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, raised by MEPs from Ukraine’s neighbouring countries, Janusz Wojciechowski pointed out the sharp increases in European imports of sugar, poultry and eggs (see EUROPE 13329/25). He recalled the position he defended within the Commission on trade policy towards Ukraine.
The Commissioner admitted that the CAP budget was not sufficient, including the reserve for agricultural crises. He therefore called for an increase in the CAP budget after 2027. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)