The primary task of the Committee on Agriculture (AGRI) this term will be the reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP), to take effect after 2027. We must ensure that the policy both meets the needs of farmers today and is sustainable in the event of future EU expansion.
The CAP’s new form should reduce bureaucracy for both farmers and member states. Bureaucracy has become the biggest pressure point in the current system and recently prompted many farmers to protest in cities across Europe. Any reform of the CAP must be built on simplifying this bureaucracy.
We must also set up a common agricultural policy that does not need to be changed for the foreseeable future, even in the event of union enlargement. We do not want to have to adapt and change the entire system of the CAP every time a new member joins.
We know that future member states are likely to be agricultural nations from the Balkans or the populous and largely agrarian Ukraine. We must consider this when setting the parameters for the new CAP this term.
Besides narrow agricultural policy, AGRI must also look at other areas of legislation that touch on farming and rural life.
A personal priority for me is to support the principle of animal welfare. For instance, we should ban the export of live animals for slaughter to countries outside the EU. There are alternatives to transporting live animals over hundreds and thousands of kilometres only to slaughter them after such a long journey.
The AGRI agenda should also include the preparation of a ban on caged farming of animals. The issue of cage-free farming has become the content of a successful citizens' initiative under EU rules, clearly reflecting the attitude of the European public. Changes in animal welfare will ultimately help to improve European agriculture and strengthen support for our farmers among citizens of European countries.
Finally, we must examine all new legislation, whatever the area, to ensure that it considers both the needs of farmers and quality of life in the countryside. For instance, we should make sure that ecological standards do not put too great a financial burden on the agricultural sector or harm people living in rural areas.
In the same vein, we should also try to revise existing legislation to remove elements that harm agriculture and the rural way of life. Europe is not just made up of big cities, and we must keep this in mind when shaping our legislation.