Green light for controversial reform of common EU agricultural policy

The European Parliament greenlighted its new acgricultural policy on Tuesday, which aims to make agriculture greener. But the Luxembourg Green Party dismisses the measures as "greenwashing".

It took months to work out the new "common agricultural policy" between the EU member states. It is set to go into force in January. MEP Charles Goerens calls it a good compromise:

"The alternative to this agrarian reform would be an agrarian revolution. We know that these always ended in a catastrophe. This was the case in Russia in 1919, where people starved to death, and it was similar in China. This is an evolution. We aren't beginning to make an effort, we are continuing. We have to stick to the Paris climate objectives. The agriculture sector has an obligation to contribute. But those who think it should have gone further need to be aware that this reform is already a heavy burden for the sector. Many cultures will disappear from our fields if we continue with plant protection at this level."

Green MEP Tilly Metz does not agree. She misses guaranteed results in the text and voted against it:

"There is nothing in this law forcing you to stick to the objectives that were already set in the "farm to fork" or the biodiversity strategy. This means de facto that it has created an incoherence in the common agrarian policy based on old texts."

A budget of 387 billion Euro has been included, to go until 2027. This makes up around a third of the EU's multi-annual budget. 270 billion are direct aids to people in the agrarian sector. France is one of the main beneficiaries of the measures.

The reform includes subsidies for farmers taking part in environmentally friendly programs. Every member state is expected to present a detailed plan before the end of the year, clarifying how the European funds will be utilised.

Video report in Luxembourgish: