Under pressure, Brussels withdrew the plan to reduce pesticides by 50%, but farmers did not bow down

Brussels has started to make concessions following farmers’ protests, which have spread to practically all European countries, including Spain. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced this Tuesday from the Strasbourg Chamber (France) that she will withdraw the proposal to halve the use of pesticides in the EU because she believes it would become a “symbol” Has gone. “Of polarization.” This initial proposal from the Community Executive called for halving the use of chemical pesticides by 2030 and, as a result, replacing them with alternatives, as well as banning the most dangerous pesticides.

With this move, von der Leyen tries to calm the anger of the rural world in the return of European elections, given the danger that Eurosceptic parties know how to control rural discontent. This does not mean that the European Commission has given up on implementing the measure to fight climate change, but also believes that more time is needed to reach a consensus on this with farmers. Von der Leyen has promised a new “more mature” plan with sector participation. In late January, before the protests intensified, the Community Executive launched a strategic dialogue that will last until the summer and is expected to feed into its findings for the next European legislature that will begin after the June elections.

Truth is this Proceeding with this package already seemed complicated Due to the opposition of some capitals and the rejection of the European Hemicycle. Everything indicates that von der Leyen wanted to cover his back before this initiative failed and this weakened his position in the face of a hypothetical second term as head of the Community Executive.

“We want to ensure that farmers remain the protagonists of this process,” the German politician said in his speech dedicated to reviewing the achievements of the last summit held last week, with a massive demonstration of farmers from all over Europe. It matched. Community Capital. After this meeting, von der Leyen made an announcement Proposal in the coming weeks to reduce the bureaucratic hassles farmers face. Additionally, last week Brussels also exempted fallow from mandatory fallow status in 2024 and introduced protection for some sensitive products against imports from Ukraine.

It does not seem that this will be enough to satisfy the farmers. They continue to ask that the EU demand a block from countries outside the community Same demands as European farmers And that it appears black on white in signed trade agreements.

There is also distrust about a possible future proposal on pesticides.” The European Parliament rejected the regulation and so the European Commission had no choice but to withdraw it. We took it lightly. This is nonsense, an absurd regulation without consensus with the agricultural sector. In fact, the processing was not done by the Agriculture Commission but by the Environment Commission. He The regulation proposed only restrictive measures Without scientific criteria and without providing solutions for new pests or new diseases that may arrive. I fear that when the new European Commission is formed, the regulation will proceed under a different name. It was called regulation for the sustainable use of phytosanitary products, but it was not sustainable use, it was straight eradication,” Andrés Góngora, responsible for fruits and vegetables in the coordination of farmers and livestock organizations, tells La Razón.