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The European Commission has long been silent on the agreed agricultural reform. Now the Brussels climate officer, Timmermans, has released his first statement. Timmermans does not want the reform to go this way.
By Helga Schmidt, ARD-Studio Brussels
There has been criticism from environmental associations, Julia Klöckner has seen the compromise of agriculture ministers as the starting point for the future. At the end of October, the Federal Minister of Agriculture and his EU colleagues negotiated an agricultural reform aimed at making European agriculture more sustainable.
“After a long and hard struggle, we have really created a milestone. A milestone for achieving a system change in European agricultural and food policy,” said Klöckner at the time.
The praise came from the German Farmers’ Association. Critics doubt that the EU’s climate goals can be achieved with the plans of agriculture ministers.
Timmermans: “I was very disappointed”
The EU Commission in Brussels initially held back. Frans Timmermans, Commissioner for Climate and Environment, said in an interview with ARD Brussels officewhat do you think of the land reform.
“I must honestly admit that I was very disappointed. Disappointed that the Council and the European Parliament have no longer shown ambitions, that they stick to an agricultural policy that is not sustainable, that cannot go on like this.”
It depends on the Dutch. Because the plans of agriculture ministers are not the last word. Commissioner Timmermans will now negotiate with agriculture ministers and the European Parliament what agricultural policy will look like over the next seven years. Their plans foresee that between 20 and 30 percent of direct payments to agriculture are linked to environmental requirements.
Agriculture will pay for it
The environmental requirements aspect should be left to the Member States. Much remains voluntary for farmers. From Timmerman’s point of view, that’s not enough.
“If we want to be climate neutral by 2050, many areas have to change. Agricultural policy too. And farmers have a great interest in that. Because if we don’t get this sustainability, agriculture will suffer.”
Farmers are already suffering three summers of drought in a row, with crop losses. The EU Commissioner wants agricultural subsidies, the most important item of the EU budget, to be used to support farms in their costly conversion to more environmentally friendly management.
To this end, it is necessary to achieve concrete objectives. One of the goals is to reduce the number of pesticides by 50% to curb the extinction of species. 50 percent less even with antibiotics in animal fattening to prevent resistance in human medicine. With fertilizer minus 20 percent. Overall, by 2030, a quarter of agricultural land in Europe will be organically grown.
Brussels Green Deal a red rag for many
Some EU countries are already so far, or nearly so, including Austria. Perhaps they will support the climate commissioner. For other countries, the Brussels Commission’s Green Deal is a red rag. Julia Klöckner spoke about the visions of Brussels to the German Farmers’ Association. It didn’t sound like support.
“These are visions that the Commission has released. Some of them, I’m trying to put it in a friendly way, hover a bit on the ground and some have little to do with reality on the ground.”
Negotiations on the final agricultural reform are expected to be concluded this year. It is clear whether the climate commissioner can convince ministers and the majority of the European Parliament.
A power struggle is likely
There is a lot to be said about a struggle for power. Timmermans says he doesn’t want to leave the future of agriculture to agricultural politicians alone. Also due to the social imbalance of many farmers.
“Today 20% of farmers receive 80% of European money. We cannot continue like this. I must insist that more money goes to farmers and not just to large farms”.
Large companies receive more money because payments are tied to the territory. According to the will of the agriculture ministers, it should remain that way. On the other hand, the Commission’s concept remains: it does not want to cut anything in billions, agricultural subsidies remain the largest budget item. But the sum of nearly 60 billion euros per year is to be used as a control tool, so that consideration for climate and biodiversity is rewarded more than land ownership.
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