If at least four of those five member states vote against a proposal, this can prevent the required qualified majority. It is not yet clear whether actual EU majority decisions will be needed for concessions to the protesting farmers.
European farmers have been protesting for several weeks against declining incomes and rising costs, against unfair import competition, and against Green Deal laws and Climate rules. In response, a package of 'easings' is currently being worked on in Brussels, which will be discussed for the first time next week (March 24 and 25) during a non-public informal Agriculture Ministers' Council.
The Belgian EU presidency previously announced that it intends to present a first package of 'administrative' measures already on March 15 to lighten the workload and pressure in the agricultural sector. Also, a survey among farmers about what they see as good solutions is ongoing until autumn.
“It is crucial for us to be able to communicate with farmers about the medium-term changes before autumn and to make these as visible as possible,” said the ministers from France, Spain, Poland, and Italy, among others, in their letter.
Dutch Agriculture Minister Piet Adema does not believe the agricultural policy should be so loosened that each country can satisfy its own farmers with its own rules and exceptions. In a parliamentary letter, Adema emphasizes that ambitions should not be lowered, but that the transition to a sustainable agricultural sector 'must be in line' with ecological objectives.
In his letter, Adema says nothing about the plea of his 22 EU counterparts, nor about the CAP agricultural subsidies. However, he makes clear that he adheres to earlier Dutch pleas regarding animal welfare and food safety. He also looks ahead to several other smoldering environmental dossiers in the agricultural sector. For instance, he repeats that the Netherlands holds that the fight against food waste requires reduction not only in households and the hospitality sector but also in agriculture.
Adema already anticipates the upcoming European evaluation of the Nitrates Directive, which could also result in stricter requirements against soil and water pollution for Dutch livestock farming. The spreading of manure could also come under pressure. Adema links this nitrate issue to the Dutch proposal already submitted for permitting high-quality processed animal manure that meets the so-called Renure criteria.
He also reiterates that the Netherlands insists on reducing chemical pesticides in agriculture. Adema will discuss these (and other issues) on Wednesday in Brussels with Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius. No specifics have been disclosed regarding the agenda of that meeting, except that Agriculture regularly consults with the European Commission at various levels. This appointment between the minister and Sinkevičius is an update at the Dutch request 'on various topics, such as the greening of agriculture'.