After years of struggle, the reform of the multi-billion dollar European agricultural policy has cleared one of the last hurdles. The EU Parliament in Strasbourg voted on Tuesday with a clear majority in favor of the reorganization plans. They envisage bringing agriculture into line with the EU’s environmental and climate protection goals. In the future, for example, a certain part of the agricultural funds should be linked to environmental requirements. In addition, farmers with smaller farms are to be given targeted support. A permanent crisis reserve is intended to support farmers in times of price fluctuations or unstable markets. After the EU Parliament, the member states now have to agree to the laboriously negotiated compromise, which is a matter of form. The reform will come into force in 2023. From 2023 to 2027, the EU’s agricultural policy has a budget of around 270 billion euros; it is one of the largest items in the EU budget. While conservatives and liberals welcomed the reform, it received devastating criticism from the Social Democrats, the Greens and the left. The Green MP Martin Häusling said after the vote that the agricultural reform did not deserve its name. “The winner is the agricultural industry. Those who have the largest areas will continue to receive the most money, without any significant obligations to protect animals, the environment or the climate.”
Agrarian reform – EU Parliament approves – Economy
