There is no majority in the European Parliament to reopen discussions on the Climate Vision Green Deal and the farm-to-fork food strategy now that food supply is threatened by Russia's war in Ukraine.
Two proposals from the EPP Christian Democrats, supported by the conservative ECR and right-wing nationalists, to ‘reassess’ or ‘suspend’ planned environmental restrictions on agriculture were rejected.
The war in Ukraine is causing a shortage of food in Ukraine and possibly elsewhere in the world. Therefore, the European Parliament wants short-term measures to maintain food supply levels. Furthermore, agricultural production in the EU should increase by keeping lands from lying fallow.
To prevent shortages and high prices, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for an action plan. This includes significantly increasing food aid to Ukraine and opening EU food corridors to and from Ukraine as an alternative to the Ukrainian Black Sea ports blocked by the Russians. Farmers in the Eastern European country must also receive diesel, seeds, and fertilizers.
Because less food can be imported into the EU due to the war in Ukraine, MEPs demand that domestic EU production increases. They also want all available agricultural land to be used exclusively for producing food and animal feed (and therefore not for establishing solar panel parks).
Fallow land must be rapidly used this year to cultivate protein-containing crops such as wheat and grain. Industries most affected should receive financial support, the Parliament states. Furthermore, EU countries should be able to provide broad, rapid, and flexible state aid to parties in the agricultural market.
Dutch MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen (SGP) considers this a positive development. He further finds it “very appropriate that the majority of the European Parliament in the resolution calls for expanding domestic agricultural production, creating more scope for fertilizer substitutes, helping farmers and horticulturists to cope with the effects of the war, including by permitting state aid.”
Several other Dutch MEPs are critical of the package. “And I am somewhat surprised by the attempt from the Christian Democrats to use this crisis to undermine and delay the Green Deal, the farm-to-fork strategy, and the biodiversity strategy,” says MEP Mohammed Chahim (PvdA).
His colleague Anja Hazenkamp (PvdD) concurs. MEP Annie Schreijer-Pierek (CDA) disagrees with them. According to her, the farm-to-fork strategy and biodiversity strategy undermine European food production.