N. Peter Kramer’s Weekly Column
The European Commission will launch plans to drastically reduce Brussels interference on farms and is going to restrain on the ‘killing’ green policies of former commissioner Frans Timmermans (Socialist). The current Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen (Christian Democrat), who grew up on a farm himself, wants a new policy focuses much more on rewarding good behaviour. He wants to cut the red tape caused by the huge number of environmental regulations before the end of the year.
For instance he wants to put an end to the ‘ploughing madness’. At the moment grassland must remain grassland after five years. It makes farmers less flexible. For that reason farmers plough their land: the counter than starts at 0 again. This madness is not good for business operations and biodiversity.
Hansen wants to extend the rule to seven years. There will finally be attention for diary farmers on peat soil. They see their incomes decrease due to all kinds of climate requirements regarding the water level. Brussels wants to make it possible for member states to compensate these farmers.
Commissioner Hansen wants to reduce the administrative burden and become less strict for farmers when it comes to environmental regulations for small ditches! The commissioner also wants to ask member states not to constantly send all kinds of inspectors to farmers; inspections should be combined as much as possible with, in principle, only one a year.
The proposals are a break with the past. Hansen’s plans still have to be assessed by the European Parliament and the member states. The environmental lobby, heavenly subsidised by Brussels, is -of course- strongly critical of the new course.
