During an electoral debate held in Maastricht, candidates vying to be the next president of the European Commission showed a lack of clarity and vision when it came to agriculture policies for the next five years. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen avoided addressing key agriculture issues, such as the withdrawal of a proposal for obligatory pesticide reduction targets in the EU. She deferred decisions on agriculture policy to a strategic dialogue for the future of agriculture, set to report in September. Despite criticism of recent simplifications to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for its lack of environmental ambition, von der Leyen insisted on the importance of implementing the European Climate Law and the European Green Deal.
The Green’s spitzenkandidat Bas Eickhout highlighted the watering down of the Green Deal for farmers in the recent CAP simplification, accusing von der Leyen of scapegoating green policies. He emphasized the importance of trust in small farms and reaching climate goals. Liberal candidate Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann called for simplifying reporting for farmers, citing unnecessary red tape. Socialist candidate Nicolas Schmit, who expressed a childhood dream of being a farmer, acknowledged the challenges faced by farmers in terms of income and fair prices for their products. However, he provided little concrete information on potential actions for the sector, focusing on reflecting on the future of agricultural policy and involving farmers in implementing the Green Deal.
There was a lack of specific policy ideas from candidates during the debate, with no clear vision for the future of agriculture in the EU. The departure of key socialist MEPs who have led agricultural debates in the current Parliamentary term may impact future policy decisions. When asked about allocating 10% of the EU budget to restoring biodiversity as outlined in the Greens manifesto, Eickhout emphasized the need for investment in nature and farmers without providing details on how this would be achieved. He called for addressing a market model where farmers bear the brunt of the costs without expanding on specific solutions.
Overall, candidates failed to address crucial agriculture flash points and did not offer a comprehensive food policy vision for the next five years. Von der Leyen, as Commission President, dodged questions on agriculture policy during the debate and focused on the importance of implementing the European Climate Law and the European Green Deal. The Greens criticized the recent simplification of the CAP for reducing environmental ambition, while the liberals called for simplifying reporting for farmers. Socialists focused on the challenges faced by farmers in terms of income and fair prices, but offered limited insight into specific actions for the sector. Moving forward, it remains to be seen how the next Commission will address these key agriculture issues and provide a coherent strategy for the future of agriculture in the EU.
