But not only with the Green Deal, Environment and Climate are the contours of a different European agricultural policy being defined. At the start of the European election campaign, there are already at least about eight issues that could guide future EU agriculture.

First of all, the appointment of Dutch Minister Wopke Hoekstra as the new Climate Commissioner is an option. He still faces a 'heavy' job interview in Strasbourg, presumably in October, likely with the ENVI (Environment) committee of the European Parliament.

If he is found to be too inexperienced, that could be interpreted as a signal that the European Parliament wants to stick to the ‘green’ Climate course of Frans Timmermans. If European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agrees with this as well, she could make that known already next Wednesday in her annual 'State of the Union' speech.

Von der Leyen is under pressure from her own Christian Democrats who want less Green Deal and Environment and more Agriculture and Rural areas. Most likely, Von der Leyen will not want to get involved or she could opt for a ‘flight forward’.

Aside from that, it remains to be seen whether Brussels politics can manage to settle the conflict between (the Polish) Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski and the other 26 commissioners. He pursues a totally independent strategy when it comes to the export of Ukrainian grain to EU ports. This dispute within Von der Leyen’s team of commissioners could well become a matter of bend or break.

Moreover, Von der Leyen has to give a speech a week later (19 September) at a EPP congress in her 'own' German federal state of Bavaria “about the future of agriculture.” Regional elections will be held in the generally conservative southern German state on 8 October.

The outcome could signal to what extent a more right-wing, agrarian course leads to the return of former CDU/CSU voters who had left. According to opinion polls, there is rightward movement in EU countries, but this recently proved not to be the case in Spain.

A week later (15 October), parliamentary elections will be held in Poland, also largely centered on rural areas and agriculture. There too, the question is whether disappointed rural residents and farmers will 'return' to the conservative-nationalist PiS coalition. The Ukrainian grain issue, a looming border blockade, and the rebellious EU Commissioner Wojciechowski are sparks in the powder keg.

And a few weeks later again (22 November), parliamentary elections will be held in the Netherlands. There too, partly the question is whether former CDA voters will return or if former voters will seek new parties and new politicians. Of course, the election results in Bavaria, Poland, or the Netherlands will not be decisive for EU policy, but they could be an indicator.

Much more decisive is whether agricultural powerhouse Ukraine will be admitted to the European Union. Negotiations on this begin on 16 December. Ten countries are nominated for EU membership; some have been kept waiting for years.

Shortly, the EU countries must make a decision on whether the EU should first put its own house in order. This was more or less agreed after the 'departure' of the British. If the EU accelerates Ukraine's membership with priority, this will undoubtedly have consequences for the common agricultural policy, whatever the case may be……

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Cold and rain cause damage to grain harvest

“Strategic dialogue” about much more than EU agriculture

Cold and rain cause damage to grain harvest

“Strategic dialogue” about much more than EU agriculture

No Decision from Agriculture Council on Halving Pesticides Either

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Cold and rain cause damage to grain harvest

“Strategic dialogue” about much more than EU agriculture

Cold and rain cause damage to grain harvest

“Strategic dialogue” about much more than EU agriculture

No Decision from Agriculture Council on Halving Pesticides Either

No Decision from Agriculture Council on Halving Pesticides Either

Bulgaria and Romania Not Yet Schengen Members

More Trouble in the European Parliament over Pesticides Law

EU subsidy for fish farming yields hardly more food

Wine production hits new low due to bad weather

Mercosur trade agreement in EU delayed even further

Arrests in Spain Following Fraud with EU Agricultural Subsidies

Spanish Prime Minister Now Working on New Coalition with Catalans

Hundreds of Dead Spanish Cows Due to Contagious Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease

Court of Auditors: EU subsidy to wine industry barely leads to greener wine

Prison sentence and millions in fines for Spanish farmers pumping groundwater

European Union inventories postponement options for Green Deal targets

New European Agricultural Policy to Be Set in Motion in the Coming Weeks

EU countries now buying much more Russian liquefied natural gas after oil boycott

Bayer pressurizes German coalition with glyphosate petition

Heat and Drought in Spain: Also Less Water for Agriculture and Horticulture

France: Protecting livestock farming from excessive EU animal welfare regulations

Finland closes mink and fox farms; all mink and foxes culled due to bird flu

Bulgaria and Romania Not Yet Schengen Members

More Trouble in the European Parliament over Pesticides Law

EU subsidy for fish farming yields hardly more food

Wine production hits new low due to bad weather

Mercosur trade agreement in EU delayed even further

Arrests in Spain Following Fraud with EU Agricultural Subsidies

Spanish Prime Minister Now Working on New Coalition with Catalans

Hundreds of Dead Spanish Cows Due to Contagious Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease

Court of Auditors: EU subsidy to wine industry barely leads to greener wine

Prison sentence and millions in fines for Spanish farmers pumping groundwater

European Union inventories postponement options for Green Deal targets

New European Agricultural Policy to Be Set in Motion in the Coming Weeks

EU countries now buying much more Russian liquefied natural gas after oil boycott

Bayer pressurizes German coalition with glyphosate petition

Heat and Drought in Spain: Also Less Water for Agriculture and Horticulture

France: Protecting livestock farming from excessive EU animal welfare regulations

Finland closes mink and fox farms; all mink and foxes culled due to bird flu