The Greens and the Dutch Social Democrats are not satisfied and call the conditions for the eco-schemes, for example, “buttery soft”.
Member of the European Parliament Bas Eickhout (GroenLinks) is very concerned: “We are in a climate and biodiversity crisis. Nevertheless, the European Parliament and European ministers want to leave the disastrous agricultural policy as it is. In agriculture, the Green Deal is in jeopardy.”
Step in the right direction
For Dutch farmers, the new common agricultural policy means that the total budget for agriculture will be reduced. This had already been decided by the government leaders.
Dutch farmers will lose more than farmers in Eastern Europe, for example. They currently receive more subsidies than their Eastern European colleagues. That difference should gradually disappear in the coming years, which means that Dutch farmers will receive almost 10 percent less subsidy per hectare of land. Many farmers in the Netherlands do not think it is right that they are imposed greening requirements at the same time.
Léon Faassen, board member of agricultural organization LTO Nederland, mentions the agreement of the European Parliament a reaction “ambitious”. “We see it as a step in the right direction, where farmers and horticulturists are rightly rewarded for the actions they take. It is good that there is now a realistic deal in which the Green Deal with its high objectives is not funded with farm money. . “
Tons of subsidy
The European Parliament also approves a maximum per farmer for agricultural subsidies. Large farmers, especially in eastern Europe, are currently getting a lot of money from the agricultural fund: some have received tons of European aid.
To put an end to this, there will be a ceiling of 100,000 euros. An exception is made for countries that pay out 12 percent of the total budget in subsidies to small farmers: in that case, large farmers in the same country may exceptionally receive up to 500,000 euros in subsidy.
Now that the European Parliament has agreed and the ministers of Agriculture have already reached an agreement, these parties are entering into negotiations to reach a final agreement.
That will take at least another year and the outcome will then have to be voted again. The new policy will therefore be introduced in 2023 at the earliest.
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