Farming lobby calls EU debate ‘blame game’, says it’s time to listen
Copa and Cogeca, the European farming lobby, has responded to this morning’s debate in the European parliament.
“Most of what was said was a political blame game, but not enough was said about solutions for the future of the sector!” the group wrote.
It added that “if MEPs are serious about giving farming community new tools and perspectives, they will have a chance to shine by voting in favour of the NGTs” – a reference to plants produced by certain “new genomic techniques”.
The farming lobby added:
Over the last few weeks in Brussels we have seen and read all possible opinions … It’s time to listen to those who work the land on a daily basis and who have experience in the field, farmers and their cooperatives. And that goes for both before and after the elections.
This morning @Europarl_EN held a debate on the current 🇪🇺 farmer protests. Most of what was said was a political blame game, but not enough was said about solutions for the future of the sector!
This afternoon, if MEPs are serious about giving 🇪🇺 farming community new tools and… https://t.co/XJwblBCJge
— COPA-COGECA (@COPACOGECA) February 7, 2024
Key events
Thousands of tractors block roads across Spain
Sam Jones
Spanish farmers are staging another day of protests, with thousands of tractors blocking roads across the country and advancing on Barcelona.
Catalonia’s regional police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, is accompanying some of the protesters in the interests of safety and is recommending that people in the region minimise travel while the demonstrations continue.
The force is also deploying officers across Barcelona to keep traffic flowing amid the protests.
Seguim amb el dispositiu de les mobilitzacions agràries que es desplacen a Barcelona per tal de garantir i compatibilitzar el dret de manifestació amb les afectacions al trànsit pic.twitter.com/luhcaR5t9B
— Mossos (@mossos) February 7, 2024
The protests have also been the topic of debate and recrimination in the Spanish congress this morning.
The opposition conservative People’s party (PP) has accused prime minister Pedro Sánchez’s socialist-led coalition government of putting “environmental dogmatism” before farmers’ needs.
“Sánchez would only show a real interest in the countryside if his continuity in the Moncloa [palace] was at stake,” the PP’s leader, Alberto Núñez Feijoo, told MPs.
La agricultura no aguanta el dogmatismo ambiental de este Gobierno.
Sánchez solo mostraría interés real por el campo si estuviese en juego su continuidad en La Moncloa. pic.twitter.com/4JqswwR4ut
— Alberto Núñez Feijóo (@NunezFeijoo) February 7, 2024
The prime minister, meanwhile, has defended his government’s record on farming and the countryside in very robust terms, telling Feijóo that his opposition is “like methanol – colourless, highly flammable and very toxic”.
Sánchez has also laid into the far-right Vox party – which likes to portray itself as the defender of rural Spain and its economy and traditions – saying its plans for the countryside are “a lethal mix of climate denial and anti-Europeanism”.
Farming lobby calls EU debate ‘blame game’, says it’s time to listen
Copa and Cogeca, the European farming lobby, has responded to this morning’s debate in the European parliament.
“Most of what was said was a political blame game, but not enough was said about solutions for the future of the sector!” the group wrote.
It added that “if MEPs are serious about giving farming community new tools and perspectives, they will have a chance to shine by voting in favour of the NGTs” – a reference to plants produced by certain “new genomic techniques”.
The farming lobby added:
Over the last few weeks in Brussels we have seen and read all possible opinions … It’s time to listen to those who work the land on a daily basis and who have experience in the field, farmers and their cooperatives. And that goes for both before and after the elections.
This morning @Europarl_EN held a debate on the current 🇪🇺 farmer protests. Most of what was said was a political blame game, but not enough was said about solutions for the future of the sector!
This afternoon, if MEPs are serious about giving 🇪🇺 farming community new tools and… https://t.co/XJwblBCJge
— COPA-COGECA (@COPACOGECA) February 7, 2024
Farmers are protesting in Spain this morning.
Iratxe García Pérez, president of the Socialists and Democrats group, said in the debate:
We need more dialogue and less polarisation.
Farmers need to be aware that the dispute between the right and the far right is damaging to their interests, because the far right are not looking to increase farming subsidies, what they are looking to do is to renationalise agriculture, which would be devestating for European farms.
We need to talk to and listen to farmers, the protests deserve a clear response from the Commission and member states.
Ahead of today’s debate, Tilly Mets, a Green member of the European parliament’s agriculture committee, said that “the farmers’ protests come as no surprise to us.”
For too long, the EU agricultural policies have favoured big agri interest over the small farmers. And hard working farmers find it difficult to make ends meet.
She added:
Farmers are squeezed between high input costs and low retail prices. The Greens/EFA call on the Commission to launch an investigation into how powerful agri-food oligopolies impact farmers’ incomes and propose guidelines for an agri-food windfall tax.
We need fair conditions for our farmers and that includes trade deals, which is why we also call for an end to the Mercosur fair trade agreement.
A thorough reform of the CAP, including the Common Market Organisation, is necessary to ensure a fair distribution of support, rural job creation, and progress in the ecological transition.
Manfred Weber, head of the centre-right European People’s party group, said in the European parliament today that agriculture is a policy area of its own.
Agriculture policy is also about the future of rural areas, and there are major challenges ahead of us, he stressed.
We as the EPP are in favour of biodiversity, water protection, animal welfare protection – we must tackle the challenges of our time head-on. But we cannot pursue ideological policies – we have to base our policies on arguments and expertise.
He added:
Farmers know that they can depend on us. We will be their advocate. We have fought hard. Yes we are in favour of biodiversity protection, yes we are in favour of protecting the environment, but together with farmers, not against them.
Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commission executive vice-president, told MEPs this morning that while the agriculture sector has shown “remarkable resilience,” Europe “must ensure that our food system is also fit for the future.”
With the Green Deal we have already put in place an ambitious roadmap to lead us to that future. And yet the reality of climate change, biodiversity loss, growing resource scarcity, price shocks and an increasingly competitive global market is having a huge impact on the farming sector and rural communities.
We have seen from the farmers protesting on the streets of Europe that many of them feel trapped, that their needs are not being met.
So we must act to secure the future of the sector, and those who work within it, and those who benefit from it – namely, all of us.
He described the need for a “future where farming and nature go hand in hand in balance.”
Šefčovič acknowledged the polarisation and said it’s imperative to bring all stakeholders together to define a common vision.
Our farmers deserve to make a decent living. And that will only happen if we work together to achieve our climate and biodiversity goals.
Hadja Lahbib, the Belgian foreign minister told the European parliament this morning that “the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU has taken note on the measures announced by the Commission to respond to the demand of our farmers.”
“We have put the item on the agenda of the next meeting of the Agrifisheries Council, which will take place on February 26, to allow the ministers of agriculture to express their views on the measures proposed by the Commission as well as on the possible need for further measures,” she said.
The minister added:
As the European Council pointed out on February 1, the European Common Agricultural Policy has an essential role to play. However, the rules adopted in 2021 to reform the CAP need to be reassessed in the light of current realities,” she said, noting that the rules were presented before COVID and before Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Protests continue as politicians grapple with farmers’ anger
It’s another day of farmers’ protests and debates over the future of agriculture in Europe.
From Spain to Bulgaria, farmers want to have their voices heard. Meanwhile, the European parliament is debating empowering farmers and rural communities.
Stay tuned for updates.
Welcome to the blog
Good morning and welcome back to the Europe blog.
Send thoughts and tips to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.
