Dutch Member of the European Parliament Bert-Jan Ruissen (SGP) wants clarity from the European Commission regarding the initial withholding of a study on the possible consequences of the Farm to Fork strategy in agriculture.
Ruissen intends to hold Climate Commissioner Frans Timmermans accountable on this matter at the next plenary session of the European Parliament.
This new food strategy was adopted last month by a large majority in a joint meeting of the Environment Committee and the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament, shortly after a study by the EU research agency JRC was presented about the consequences for agriculture of such a new food and biodiversity strategy.
According to agricultural organizations, the study shows among other things that agricultural production may decrease, food prices may rise, imports may increase, and exports may decline.
Members of the Agriculture Committee and many Ministers of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) have already called for a 'cost-benefit analysis' of the possible expenses associated with the Green Deal climate plans, the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the new Farm to Fork food policy.
The European news site Euractiv revealed last week that the JRC report was ready at an official level in January but that the European Commission only forwarded it to the European Parliament in August — during the summer recess. The researchers themselves emphasize that their report is incomplete and that many measures are still uncertain.
Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski reacted indignantly last week to Euractiv’s accusation that he had ‘withheld’ the report to send it only during the holiday recess. In a Twitter post, he pointed out that he had held back the report because the researchers themselves noted that their study was incomplete, and so were their calculations.
For example, the JRC researchers highlight that eating patterns and consumer behavior cannot be predicted if some food products become more expensive due to stricter environmental requirements or disappear from store shelves. The study also reveals that trade agreements do not yet adequately detail how to handle the import of cheaper but polluting products.
Since EU politicians had requested a full assessment of all consequences, the European Commission attempted after January to fill the gaps in the research, Commissioner Wojciechowski explained.
Only when it became clear to Commissioners Timmermans, Kyriakides, and Wojciechowski that the requested comprehensive assessment could not be delivered in detail, was the decision made to nevertheless forward the report to the ENVI and AGRI committees.
Two weeks ago, Wojciechowski announced via Twitter that a full assessment of all consequences would only be possible during the course of next year, once all 27 EU countries have submitted their National Strategic Plans (NSPs) to Brussels.